# NTSB ATL04IA002: North American T6G, N2831D, Clayton, GA, October 2, 2003 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: October 2, 2003, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Clayton, GA - Coordinates: 34.832778, -83.409446 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8328&lon=-83.4094&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 9, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Atlanta FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 58089 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL04IA002 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58089/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04IA002 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions that resulted in his failure to maintain directional control during landing roll. A factor was gusting tailwinds. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - weather condition - tailwind (contributing factor) - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - drop-off/descending embankment ## Analysis According to the pilot during the approach to land the airplane touched down about 500 feet down runway 23 on the centerline. As the tail lost lift and the tail wheel made contact with the runway, the airplane veered left of the centerline. At 1900 feet, the airplane crossed from the south side of the runway over the centerline to the north side of the runway. The airplane veered again to the left and departed the runway on the south side about 2,000 feet from the approach end. The airplane came to rest perpendicular to the runway 2,144 feet from the approach end. Examination of the accident on-scene found that the airplane departed the runway edge and proceeded down a fifteen-foot embankment and made contact with several large rocks, separating both main landing gear. The airplane continued to rotate counter clockwise about 45-degrees and came to rest near trees. Winds at the time of the accident were 100-degrees gusting to 15 knots. Examination of the auto-locking feature for the tail-wheel found that the mechanism operated properly. Tail wheel skid marks on the runway were clearly visible throughout the length of the loss-of-control sequence. Tail wheel scuff marks were in line with the main landing gear and exhibited side-load scuffing consistent with the tail wheel being in the forward, locked position. The scuffing was not consistent with a cocked tail wheel. In addition, no evidence was identified indicating tail wheel tire sidewall or tread damage consistent with a cocked tail wheel. No mechanical problem with the airplane was reported by the pilot. ## Factual narrative On October 2, 2003 at 1530 eastern daylight time, a North American T6G, N2831D, registered to Bowlin & Associates Inc, and operated by the commercial pilot, ran off the side of runway 23 and into an embankment at the Heavens Landing private airstrip in Clayton, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received minor injuries, and the passenger was not injured. The airplane sustained minor damage. The flight originated from a private airstrip in Griffin, Georgia, at 1430. According to the pilot, he elected to land on runway 23 with a slight tail wind. He said the winds were light and variable with occasional gusts. The runway was a newly constructed concrete surface, which measured 5,000 feet by 50 feet. The south side of the runway drops off approximately 20 feet from the runway edge into a 15-foot deep embankment. The pilot stated that the airplane touched down about 500 feet down runway 23 on the centerline. As the tail lost lift and the tail wheel made contact with the runway, the airplane veered left off the centerline. At 1900 feet, the airplane crossed from the south side of the runway over the centerline to the north side of the runway. The airplane veered again to the left and departed the runway on the south side about 2,000 feet from the approach end. The airplane came to rest perpendicular to the runway 2,144 feet from the approach end. Winds at the time of the accident were100-degrees gusting to 15 knots. Examination of the accident on-scene found that the airplane collided was an embankment and several large rocks. The examination also revealed that both main landing gear were separated from the airframe. Examination of the auto-locking feature for the tail-wheel found that the mechanism operated properly. Tail wheel skid marks on the runway were clearly visible throughout the length of the loss-of-control sequence. Tail wheel scuff marks were in line with the main landing gear and exhibited side-load scuffing consistent with the tail wheel being in the locked position. The scuffing was not consistent with a cocked tail wheel. In addition, no evidence was identified indicating tail wheel tire sidewall or tread damage consistent with a cocked tail wheel. No mechanical problem with the airplane was reported by the pilot. **This narrative was modified on August 9, 2007.** ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2831D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2831D), registered now, S/N 53-4577, built 1958 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: North American T6G - Registry model: [North American T-6G](https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-t-6g) (registry code 6400432) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R1340 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (registry code 52016, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 53-4577 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney R1430 600 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Charles E. Yeager - Registered owner: Bowlin & Associates Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: GA62, Griffin, GA - Destination: PVT, Clayton, GA - Airport: PVT, Heaven's Landing Airport, runway 23, 5,000 × 50 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 80; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, multi-engine sea, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: rear; flight hours: 1,800 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 11 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg - Observed at: MCN, 50 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20031002024799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031002024799I), Oct 2, 2003: Namer T6G, Clayton, GA, Substantial damage. (-23) Inspector's statement: a T-6G aircraft registration number N2831D was crashed during landing at heaven's landing Private Airport on germany mountain,… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.