LAX00LA254

NTSB accident investigation · North American AT-6F · Grass Valley, CA · July 7, 2000

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 7, 2000, 15:05 local (22:05 UTC)
Place
Grass Valley, CA
Injuries
1 minor, 1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N7475CNorth American AT-6F
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 17, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
49654

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

failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll resulting in a collision with terrain.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterGo-around (vfr)
Terrain condition - rough/uneven

Analysis

The pilot observed no wind and attempted a three-point landing. The airplane bounced slightly and, as he sat the airplane back down on the main gear, the airplane swerved to the right. He added some power and applied rudder and brake, but observed no correction. He applied full power to attempt a go-around, but departed the right side of the runway at a 25-degree angle. Approximately 200 feet from the runway the left main gear contacted terrain, swinging the airplane into a hillside.

Factual narrative

On July 7, 2000, at 1505 hours Pacific daylight time, a North American AT-6F, N7475C, sustained substantial damage when it departed the left side of the runway and ground looped during the landing roll at Nevada County Air Park, Grass Valley, California. The airplane was being operated by the owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot was uninjured and the only passenger received minor injuries. The personal flight departed Monterey, California, about 1400, and was scheduled to terminate at Grass Valley. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported he observed no wind and attempted a three-point landing. The airplane bounced slightly and, as he sat the airplane back down on the main gear, the airplane swerved to the right. He added some power and applied rudder and brake, but observed no correction. He applied full power to attempt a go-around, but departed the right side of the runway at a 25-degree angle. Approximately 200 feet from the runway the left main gear contacted terrain, swinging the airplane into a hillside.

Aircraft

Registration
N7475C
Reported as
North American AT-6F
Category
Airplane
Serial number
44-82027
Airframe hours
525
Engine
P&W R1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Marvin Quaid
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · June 13, 2000 · 15 hours before
Departed
MRY · Monterey, CA
Destination
017 · Whiteman, CA
Airport
O17 · Navada County Airpark, runway 25, 4,350 × 75 ft, asphalt

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
81
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Front
Flight hours
7,180 total · 2,050 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 9 knots, gusting 15
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
4,700 ft broken
Temperature
138 °F, dew point 117 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
BLU, 15 nm away

Other investigations on N7475C · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.