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20250601008059I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · North American AT-6D · Brandy Station, VA · June 1, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 1, 2025 · 09:00 local
Place
Brandy Station, VA
Airport
Culpeper Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N10602
Reported as
North American AT-6D
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R1340 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,985 total455 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days
N10602Registered now · North American AT-6DS/N 121-41870 · Built 1944Airframe modelNorth American AT-6DEngine modelPratt & Whitney R1340 seriesReciprocating

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.

Inspected aircraft. Found left wing center aileron bracket bent over and broke skin of the wing. Determined this event to be an accident awaiting NTSB call back. Inspected logbooks, aircraft was current prior to the flight. Other damage, left strut housing, left aileron, left wingtip, and left wheel assembly. Awaiting ops determination.

Pilot statement:

Good morning norman, regarding incident involving privacy data omitted aircraft AT6 texan, privacy data omitted.

Time 10:00 zulu. Runway 22 at cjr airport winds 290 @ 7. Vis 10 miles. Taxied to run up block for runway 22, unlocked tailwheel to swing tail around for run up. Was receiving continuos procedural instruction from rear seat as I taxied to runway regarding take off as it is different from normal non-formation take off as aircraft has to make sharp turn onto one side or the other depending on wind direction. Normal procedure is to lock tailwheel as I leave runway up block, in this case I did not because it needed to be unlocked until I had maneuvered into position. Back seater was giving be a barrage of instructions from rear seat and I was distracted to the point I took off without tailwheel locked. Executed formation evaluation flight without any issues, landed mid field and stayed on mains as instructed, rolled to 1000’ marker at end of runway. Tail settled with 45 degrees of flaps @ around 20 knots, as soon as unlocked tailwheel contacted runway plane veered to the right. With full flaps, rudder was blanked and there was no steering with unlocked tailwheel so plane departed runway into grass and spun around 180 degrees. Left wing contacted runway prior to entering grassy area. Successfully landing a texan in a cross wind without tailwheel locked is according to privacy data omitted nearly impossible, especially if it unexpected.

..

We were doing formation training and headed out for evaluation check ride.

Sent from my iphone

As the FAA filed it

INSPECTED AIRCRAFT. FOUND LEFT WING CENTER AILERON BRACKET BENT OVER AND BROKE SKIN OF THE WING. DETERMINED THIS EVENT TO BE AN ACCIDENT AWAITING NTSB CALL BACK. INSPECTED LOGBOOKS, AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. OTHER DAMAGE, LEFT STRUT HOUSING, LEFT AILERON, LEFT WINGTIP, AND LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY. AWAITING OPS DETERMINATION.

PILOT STATEMENT:

GOOD MORNING NORMAN, REGARDING INCIDENT INVOLVING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT AT6 TEXAN, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

TIME 10:00 ZULU. RUNWAY 22 AT CJR AIRPORT WINDS 290 @ 7. VIS 10 MILES. TAXIED TO RUN UP BLOCK FOR RUNWAY 22, UNLOCKED TAILWHEEL TO SWING TAIL AROUND FOR RUN UP. WAS RECEIVING CONTINUOS PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTION FROM REAR SEAT AS I TAXIED TO RUNWAY REGARDING TAKE OFF AS IT IS DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL NON-FORMATION TAKE OFF AS AIRCRAFT HAS TO MAKE SHARP TURN ONTO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER DEPENDING ON WIND DIRECTION. NORMAL PROCEDURE IS TO LOCK TAILWHEEL AS I LEAVE RUNWAY UP BLOCK, IN THIS CASE I DID NOT BECAUSE IT NEEDED TO BE UNLOCKED UNTIL I HAD MANEUVERED INTO POSITION. BACK SEATER WAS GIVING BE A BARRAGE OF INSTRUCTIONS FROM REAR SEAT AND I WAS DISTRACTED TO THE POINT I TOOK OFF WITHOUT TAILWHEEL LOCKED. EXECUTED FORMATION EVALUATION FLIGHT WITHOUT ANY ISSUES, LANDED MID FIELD AND STAYED ON MAINS AS INSTRUCTED, ROLLED TO 1000’ MARKER AT END OF RUNWAY. TAIL SETTLED WITH 45 DEGREES OF FLAPS @ AROUND 20 KNOTS, AS SOON AS UNLOCKED TAILWHEEL CONTACTED RUNWAY PLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. WITH FULL FLAPS, RUDDER WAS BLANKED AND THERE WAS NO STEERING WITH UNLOCKED TAILWHEEL SO PLANE DEPARTED RUNWAY INTO GRASS AND SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES. LEFT WING CONTACTED RUNWAY PRIOR TO ENTERING GRASSY AREA. SUCCESSFULLY LANDING A TEXAN IN A CROSS WIND WITHOUT TAILWHEEL LOCKED IS ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF IT UNEXPECTED.

..

WE WERE DOING FORMATION TRAINING AND HEADED OUT FOR EVALUATION CHECK RIDE.

SENT FROM MY IPHONE