- Date
- February 22, 1989, 16:45 local (Feb 23, 1989, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Compton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6972CNorth American AT-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890222002399A
- Case key
- 26340
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
Fatigue cracks that existed in an engine cylinder.
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
At the beginning of a local pleasure flight, just after takeoff, the engine experienced a loss of power. Wires were struck during a forced landing on a residential street. Inspection of the engine revealed that the number five cylinder was cracked in two parts. A metallurgical examination revealed that three separate fatigue cracks existed prior to the final break. Combustion by-products were noted in the cracks and on the outside of the cylinder in the area of the cracks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6972C
- Reported as
- North American AT-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 90680
- Airframe hours
- 7,024
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James K. Fox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1988 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- CMT · Compton, CA
- Airport
- Compton, runway 25, 3,600 × 60 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,926 total · 652 in this make and model · 5,732 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.