Taylorcraft BC12 N96709 accident near Goddard, Kansas

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during takeoff, the airplane lifted off and that he felt "a strange push," and the airplane drifted left toward some hangars. He made corrections toward the runway centerline, and the airplane felt "mushy." The airspeed decreased, so he lowered the nose to increase the airspeed. The airplane then stalled, impacted a soft field, and came to a sudden stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that the wind was 7 to 10 mph from the south-southeast and shifted to 7 to 10 mph from the north-northeast. The pilot departed from runway 18.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA20CA015 for the full record.