# Accident 20160323002589A: North American AT-6A, Astoria, OR, March 23, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 23, 2016, 16:00 local time
- Place: Astoria, OR
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.2189° N, 123.7967° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.2189&lon=-123.7967&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7055D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7055D-2016-12-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: North American AT-6A (registry code 6400469, https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-at-6a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 (registry code 51612, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-1340-an-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: NORTH AMERICAN AT-6A
- Reported engine: P & W R-1340-AN-1
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,283 total, 166 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR16FA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA087) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160323002589A

## Narrative

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

ON A FLIGHT FOR THE REPORTED PURPOSE OF SCATTERING THE PASSENGERS DECEASED HUSBANDS ASHES, THE AIRCRAFT, ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, MADE A SLOW LEFT TURN TO A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND HIT MID COLUMBIA RIVER WATER IN NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND SANK. POST ACCIDENT EXAMNIATION OF THE AIRCRAFT CONFIRMED CONTINUITY OF ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WITH SEVEREANCE OF  CABLES AND TUBES CONSISTENT WITH POST IMPACT DAMAGE. PROPELLER DAMAGE SIGNATURES INDICATE THE ENGINE WAS NOT AT A HIGHER POWER SETTING AT IMPACT DUE TO MID SPAN BLADE REARWARD BENDING WITH VERY LITTLE BLADE TWISTING SIGNATURES.

## 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 WPR16FA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA087), Mar 23, 2016: North American AT 6A (N7055D), Astoria, OR, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of aircraft control during a low-altitude ash dispersal maneuver. Contributing to the accident was his degraded performance due to his medical conditions.

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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