- Date
- July 28, 2021, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Adrian, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6601CNorth American AT-6F
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration; East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210728019929A
- Case key
- 103627
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 loss of control during landing due to the out of rig condition of the tailwheel which resulted in a ground loop and impact with the runway.
Findings · 1
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 receiving instruction during the instructional flight reported that he performed a wheel landing and the airplane touched down on the runway centerline. After the tailwheel touched down onto the runway, the airplane began to track to the left. The pilot began to apply increasing right rudder control input, but the airplane continued to track left. He then applied right “differential steering” and the airplane overshot the runway centerline, tracking right. He was unable to arrest the right track with full left rudder control input and left brake, and the airplane ground looped. The left landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the tailwheel was out of rigging specifications, which would have resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot receiving instruction during the instructional flight stated that he performed a wheel landing and the airplane touched down on the runway centerline. After the tailwheel touched down onto the runway, the airplane began to track left. The pilot began to apply increasing right rudder control input, but the airplane continued to track left. He then applied right “differential steering” and the airplane overshot the runway centerline, tracking right. He was unable to arrest the right track with full left rudder control input and left brake. The airplane ground looped, the left landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground resulting in substantial damage to the left wing spar. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the tailwheel was out of rigging specifications, which would have resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6601C
- Reported as
- North American AT-6F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 121-42479
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 5,614
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340-AN-1, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- B&S Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 27, 2021
- Departed
- DUH · Ottawa Lake, OH
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- ADG · Lenawee County Airport, runway 23, 5,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 14, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 4,267 total · 14 in this make and model · 41 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 150 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- ADG
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB 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.