# Accident 20010724020359A: Boeing PT17, Anniston, AL, July 24, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 24, 2001, 10:30 local time
- Place: Anniston, AL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7167° N, 85.8792° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7167&lon=-85.8792&mi=10
- Aircraft: N56920, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N56920-2004-05-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing A75N1(PT17) (registry code 1380134, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-a75n1-pt17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental R670-SERIES series (registry code 17016, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-r670-series-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING PT17
- Reported engine: CONT R6705
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 20,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL01FA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01FA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010724020359A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON JULY 24, 2001, AT 1030 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING STEARMAN PT-17, N56920, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AT THE INDIAN OAKS GOLF COURSE, IN ANNISTON, ALABAMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT (ATP) UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT.  THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED.  THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ANNISTON METRO AIRPORT, ANNISTON, ALABAMA, AT 1015.  ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE AIRPLANE WAS DOING A SLOW SPIRAL OVER THE GOLF COURSE AND THEN BEGAN TO CLIMB, SHORTLY AFTER CLIMBING TO AN UNDETERMINED ALTITUDE, THE AIRPLANE WENT INTO A NOSE DOWN SPIN AND IMPACTED INTO A STAND OF TREES.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FOUND THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND RESTED INVERTED ON THE SIDE OF A HILL. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE AND MOVED TO A FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.         (-23)ON JULY 24, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 CDT, A BOEING/STEARMAN PT-17, N56920, CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA ADJACENT TO INDIAN OAKS GOLF COURSE NORTH  OF ANNISTON, AL. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE ANNISTON AIRPORT AND WAS OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FOR APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MINUTES UNDER CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURED.  THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.                                                                        (.4) ON JULY 24, 2001, AT 1030 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING STEARMAN PT-17, N56920, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AT THE INDIAN OAKS GOLF COURSE, IN ANNISTON, ALABAMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PARTNERSHIP AND OPERATED BY ONE OF THE PARTNERS WHO WAS AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT (ATP) UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ANNISTON METRO AIRPORT, ANNISTON, ALABAMA, AT 1015. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE WAS CIRCLING THE GOLF COURSE AND THEN BEGAN TO CLIMB, SHORTLY AFTER CLIMBING TO AN UNDETERMINED ALTITUDE, THE AIRPLANE WENT INTO A NOSE DOWN SLOW SPIN AND IMPACTED INTO  A STAND OF TREES.

## 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 ATL01FA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01FA093), Jul 24, 2001: Boeing Stearman PT-17 (N56920), Anniston, AL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The inadvertent activation of the flight control gust locks by the pilot rated passenger that resulted in the loss of control inflight. Contributing was the pilot in commands failure to follow the…

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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