# Accident 20001206033539A: Smith James A JR TEAM TANGO TANGO 2, Dry Creek, LA, December 6, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 6, 2000, 12:30 local time
- Place: Dry Creek, LA
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.6610° N, 93.0394° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6610&lon=-93.0394&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6204D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6204D-2001-05-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith James A JR TEAM TANGO TANGO 2 (registry code 05607K2, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-james-a-jr-team-tango-tango-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA032) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001206033539A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON DECEMBER 6, 2000, APPROX. 1230 CST, A TEAM TANGO 2 AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE, N6204D, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR DRY CREEK, LA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE APRT 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GEORGETOWN, TEXAS AT 1135, AND WAS DESTINED FOR GAINESVILLE, FL. THE PILOT WAS NON-INSTRUMENT RATED AND NOT QUALIFIED TO HANDLE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS FRIENDS, THE PILOT WAS FLYING THE COMPOSITE AIRPLANE TO THE TEAM TANGO BUILDERS CENTER, LOCATED IN GAINESVILLE. THE AIRPLANE WAS CERTIFIED AIRWORTHY BY THE FAA ON OCTOBER 13, 2000. THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE FLIGHT AND INDICATED THAT HE PLANNED TO FLY AT 9,500 FEET. THE FAA IIC WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A CREEK BANK IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA. THE IIC NOTED THAT NONE OF THE TREES IN THE ACCIDENT AREA APPEARED TO HAVE IMPACT DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE'S COCKPIT WAS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN THE CREEK, AND THE ENGINE        AND PROPELLER REMAINED BURIED IN THE CREEK BANK. THE AIRPLANE WAS SHATTEREDAND ITS WRECKAGE ENCOMPASSED A 50 FOOT RADIUS. SUSPECTED WEATHER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT COULD NOT BE PROVEN.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW01LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA032), Dec 6, 2000: Smith Team Tango 2 (N6204D), Dry Creek, LA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's VFR flight into IMC while in cruise, which resulted in his loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the clouds, and icing weather…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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