Taylorcraft With Two On Board Struck Power Lines On Approach To Unimproved Airstrip

A lawsuit has been filed in Tama County District Court in Toledo, IA, stemming from an accident which fatally injured two people on board a Taylorcraft BC12-D. The airplane struck power lines and went down on approach to landing. The passenger on board the airplane survived the accident, but later died of his injuries.

According to the NTSB preliminary report, on November 28, 2013, about 1100 central standard time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, N94973, struck power lines on approach to an unimproved airstrip at Clutier, Iowa. The pilot was fatally injured and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from Traer (K8C6) Municipal Airport, Traer, Iowa, at an undetermined time.

The report goes on to say that preliminary information from the Tama County Sheriff indicates the airplane was on approach to an unimproved airstrip near the intersection of R Avenue and 245th Street. The pilot had flown into this airstrip on previous occasions, but had not done so recently. The power lines had been buried, but elevated power lines had recently been erected near the airport. It is not known if the pilot was aware of the erection of the power lines.

The suit was brought by Susan Morrison, the wife of Max Morrison, who was a passenger on board the T-Craft. Morrison died January 7 of injuries sustained in the accident, according to the Tama News-Herald. She has named the estate of William Konicek Jr. the pilot of the airplane, as the defendant in the case. An attorney for the Konicek estate said in answering the suit on May 9 that the pilot had suffered a fatal heart attack during the flight, which resulted in the accident.

FMI: www.iowacourts.gov/District_Courts/District_Six/