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20100702035749A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · North Ameri AT-6G · Destin, FL · July 2, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 2, 2010 · 12:18 local
Place
Destin, FL
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N92778
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA10FA342
Reported as
North Ameri AT-6G
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,924 total300 in this make and model104 in the last 90 days
N92778Registration cancelled Jun 30, 2017 · North American AT-6GS/N 182-486Airframe modelNorth American AT-6G

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

A comparison of the witness statements and radar data indicate that the pilot of the accident aircraft initiated a climbing left hand turn to initiate an aerobatic loop. The indications are that the pilot failed to maintain control and the aircraft appeared to stall at the top of the loop and subsequently entered a spin. The aircraft was between 1350 feet MSL(maximum altitude on the radar plot) and 850 feet MSL when the aircraft stalled. The pilot was unable to regain control and the aircraft impacted the ocean. One witness to the accident stated that the aircraft began to burn and immediately sank in approximately 60 feet of water. Some witness statements indicated that the pilot was taking evasive action to avoid a banner tow aircraft. This is discounted due to the angle of the view from the witnesses' location on the beach. The banner tow pilot states that he saw the T-6 prior to the manuever and states that the T-6 was no closer than a half mile and that the T-6 pilot had turned on the aircraft's smoke system prior to initiating the manuever. This statement was further confirmed by a boat captain who was on the surface and located between the banner tow aircraft and the accident aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

A COMPARISON OF THE WITNESS STATEMENTS AND RADAR DATA INDICATE THAT THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT INITIATED A CLIMBING LEFT HAND TURN TO INITIATE AN AEROBATIC LOOP. THE INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STALL AT THE TOP OF THE LOOP AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED A SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BETWEEN 1350 FEET MSL(MAXIMUM ALTITUDE ON THE RADAR PLOT) AND 850 FEET MSL WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STALLED.THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE OCEAN. ONE WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BURN AND IMMEDIATELY SANK IN APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET OF WATER.SOME WITNESS STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT WAS TAKING EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A BANNER TOW AIRCRAFT. THIS IS DISCOUNTED DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE VIEW FROM THE WITNESSES' LOCATION ON THE BEACH. THE BANNER TOW PILOT STATES THAT HE SAW THE T-6 PRIOR TO THE MANUEVER AND STATES THAT THE T-6 WAS NO CLOSER THAN A HALF MILE AND THAT THE T-6 PILOT HAD TURNED ON THE AIRCRAFT'S SMOKE SYSTEM PRIOR TO INITIATING THE MANUEVER. THIS STATEMENT WAS FURTHER CONFIRMED BY A BOAT CAPTAIN WHO WAS ON THE SURFACE AND LOCATED BETWEEN THE BANNER TOW AIRCRAFT AND THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA10FA342Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportDestin, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to perform the maneuvers at a low altitude and over water.Jul 2, 2010 · Substantial damage