# NTSB ERA12CA393: North American AT-6C, N7055K, Delmar, DE, June 11, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 11, 2012, 13:53 local (17:53 UTC) - Place: Delmar, DE - Coordinates: 38.461112, -75.61444 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4611&lon=-75.6144&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area overshoot](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 26, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 83949 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12CA393 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83949/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83949 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA393 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to go around after not attaining the proper touchdown point, which resulted in a runway excursion and noseover. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not specified; cases with it: [North American AT-6C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=6400412), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [North American AT-6C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=6400412), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [North American AT-6C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=6400412), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area overshoot](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380) (defining event); cases with it: [North American AT-6C, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380/sequence.md?model=6400412), [All aircraft, 400 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/380/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [North American AT-6C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=6400412), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [North American AT-6C, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=6400412), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, who was delivering the recently-sold vintage military trainer, he first landed the airplane at a paved airport near the new owner's farm. The new owner then asked the pilot to fly the airplane to a dirt airstrip on the farm. The pilot went to the airstrip with the new owner, determined that it was acceptable for landing, and later returned with the airplane. During the landing flare, the airplane floated due to, what the pilot later surmised, convective currents from the hot soil. The airplane subsequently touched down long and overran the end of the 1,380-foot airstrip. During the overrun, the airplane encountered a soft spot in the adjoining onion field and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and vertical fin. The landing direction was to the north, while the nearest recorded airport weather indicated that the wind was from the east at 5 knots. There were no preexisting mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane. ## Factual narrative According to the delivery pilot of the recently-sold vintage military trainer, he first landed the airplane at a paved airport near the new owner's farm. The new owner then asked the pilot to fly the airplane to a dirt airstrip on the farm. The pilot subsequently went to the airstrip with the new owner, determined that it was acceptable, and later returned with the airplane. During the landing flare, the airplane floated from what the pilot later surmised were convective currents from the hot soil. It subsequently touched down long and overran the end of the 1,380-foot airstrip. During the overrun, the airplane encountered a soft spot in the adjoining onion field and nosed over, damaging the rudder and vertical fin. The landing direction was to the north, while the nearest recorded airport weather indicated that the winds were from the east at 5 knots. There were no preexisting mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7055K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7055K), registered now, S/N 50-709E (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: NORTH AMERICAN AT-6C - Registry model: [North American AT-6C](https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-at-6c) (registry code 6400412) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 50-709E - Airframe hours: 5975 - Engines: Pratt and Whitney R-1340-AN-1 650 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Wayne E. Bailey - Registered owner: Wayne E. Bailey - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 30, 2011, 55 hours before - Departed: SBY, Salisbury, MD - Destination: NONE, Delmar, DE - Airport: NONE, Private Airstrip, runway 36, 1,380 × 500 ft, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 69; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 11, 2011; flight hours: 19,530 total, 119,612 in this make and model, 190 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: SBY, 9 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). - [Accident 20120611010629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120611010629A), Jun 11, 2012: North American AT-6C, Delmar, DE, Substantial damage. Aircraft was landing in the aircraft owners, 1370' farm field. The aircraft touched down in the designated field then overran it and entered an onion field in… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83949. 1.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 460 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40371526&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1 - Airplane Upside Down (Courtesy FAA) (item 2, .PDF, 121 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40371506&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Airplane%20Upside%20Down%20(Courtesy%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Partial View of Vertical Fin/Rudder Damage (Courtesy FAA) (item 3, .PDF, 151 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40371510&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Partial%20View%20of%20Vertical%20Fin%2FRudder%20Damage%20(Courtesy%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - Airplane During Recovery Hoist (Courtesy of Recovery Personnel) (item 4, .PDF, 295 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40371514&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Airplane%20During%20Recovery%20Hoist%20(Courtesy%20of%20Recovery%20Personnel)-Master.PDF 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.