Accident Overview
On June 3, 2022, at about 1115 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D1, registration N44374, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Pittsboro, North Carolina. The aircraft was on a local area training flight operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The student pilot and flight instructor reported no injuries.
Events Leading to the Accident
According to the flight instructor, the flight departed for a training session. After approximately 40 to 50 minutes of flight, while cruising at 2,000 feet mean sea level, the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The crew followed the emergency checklist in an attempt to restart the engine, but the efforts were unsuccessful. The student pilot then executed a forced landing to a wheat field. During the landing rollout, the airplane contacted a rut in the field, causing it to flip over and come to rest inverted.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed the presence of water and corrosion in the fuel gascolator. The aircraft had been parked outside on the ramp the night before the accident, and rain had occurred. The student pilot reported that approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the loss of power, he transferred fuel from the wing fuel tank to the main fuel tank. He also stated that during his preflight inspection, he drained the fuel sump at the gascolator but did not drain the wing fuel tanks. The flight instructor indicated that he was not familiar with the airplane and the location of the fuel sumps.