- Date
- December 7, 2006, 10:49 local (18:49 UTC)
- Place
- Mojave, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9525CNorth American AT-6C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20061207028839A
- Case key
- 64988
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 failure to maintain adequate clearance from a sign while performing a low altitude maneuver.
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.
Analysis
The aircraft collided with an obstacle during an intentional low altitude pass at an airport. During a mock bombing run at an erected target/sign, which was off to the side of runway 30, the pilot descended too low, and the right wing impacted the sign. The pilot heard a "thump," and realized that he had struck the sign. He then circled around and landed on runway 08. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
On December 7, 2006, at 1049 Pacific standard time, a North American AT-6C, N9525C, impacted a sign while conducting a low altitude fly-by at Mojave Airport, Mojave, California. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the right wing. The local personal flight departed Van Nuys, California, about 1010. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the accident site were 35 degrees 03.33 minutes north latitude and 118 degrees 09.06 minutes west longitude.
In a written statement, the pilot stated that during a mock bombing run at an erected target/sign, which was off to the side of runway 30, he descended too low, and the right wing impacted the target. He heard a "thump," and realized that he had struck the target. The pilot then circled around, and landed on runway 08.
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9525C
- Reported as
- North American AT-6C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 88-12407
- Airframe hours
- 6,909
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- MHV · Mojave, CA
- Airport
- MHV · Mojave, runway 30, 9,502 × 200 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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 948 total · 725 in this make and model · 883 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- MHV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.