- Date
- September 3, 2010, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Blakesburg, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77TXNorth American AT-6
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 12, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100903049059A
- Case key
- 77420
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's excessive airspeed during the landing, which resulted in his decision to perform an intentional ground loop to avoid a runway overrun.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel–equipped airplane performed a short-field landing on the grass runway. During the landing rollout, he applied the brakes and the aircraft slowed normally. Due to his position in the cockpit, the pilot could not see the end of the runway until the airplane approached it. He intentionally ground-looped the airplane in an attempt to avoid traveling off the end of the runway. The airplane turned 90 degrees and impacted trees. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, witnesses reported the airplane's approach speed was excessive for the short runway. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the forward left wing spar. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot "made a short field landing approach 3 pointing the aircraft at the approach end" of the 2,350 foot long by 100 feet wide grass runway. The pilot applied the brakes and "slowing seemed normal." Due to his position in the cockpit and the 3-point landing, the pilot could not "see the end of the runway until it was too late." The pilot then intentionally ground looped the airplane to avoid traveling off the end and into a ravine. The airplane turned 90 degrees and impacted trees. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, witnesses reported the airplane's approach speed was "way too fast for the short runway." Examination of the airplane revealed the forward left wing spar was fractured. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77TX
- Reported as
- North American AT-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 78-6698
- Airframe hours
- 11,141
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 13, 2010
- Departed
- FCM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Destination
- IA27 · Blakesburg, IA
- Airport
- IA27 · Antique Airfield, runway 18, 2,350 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 6, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,153 total · 1,333 in this make and model · 3,059 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 21, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 324 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.