- Date
- July 24, 2019, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7976ANorth American AT 6F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190724015059A
- Case key
- 99942
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 loss of directional control during landing with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent substantial damage.
Findings · 3
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 reported he was returning to the airfield as part of an 11-ship formation. The wind at the airfield was from between 220° and 230° and 7 to 8 knots. He landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane on the left side of the runway and kept the tail up during landing rollout to allow for spacing with the other aircraft in the formation. When he began to lower the tail to the runway, the wind hit the airplane' left side and lifted the left wing. Despite the pilot's control inputs, the airplane crossed to the right side of the runway, continued into grass, and came to a stop facing south. The left wingtip, aileron, and outboard aileron hinge struck the ground during the excursion, substantially damaging the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was returning to the airfield as part of an eleven-ship formation. The wind at the airfield was 220-230° at 7-8 kts. He landed the tailwheel equipped airplane on the left side of rwy 36 and he kept the tail up during landing rollout to allow for spacing with other aircraft in formation. When he began to lower the tail to the runway wind hit the left side of the airplane and lifted the left wing. Despite the pilot's control inputs the airplane crossed to the right side of the runway and continued into the grass, coming to a stop facing south. The left wingtip, aileron, and outboard aileron hinge struck the ground during the excursion, substantially damaging the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7976A
- Reported as
- North American AT 6F (G)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 121-43192
- Built
- 1959
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340 SERIES, 550 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Witham Warbirds Llc
- Registered owner
- Witham Warbirds Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Airport
- OSH · Wittman Rgnl, runway 36, 8,002 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 3, 2018
- Flight hours
- 2,842 total · 380 in this make and model · 73 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 29, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 50 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.