- Date
- September 11, 1991, 17:00 local (Sep 12, 1991, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N29931North American AT-6G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910911039249A
- Case key
- 27358
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 failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate clearance between the aircraft and the ground while maneuvering around a pylon, which resulted in a loss of control during landing.
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 was flying the Reno air race course during trials. The aircraft was on the race course and seemed to enter a turn at one of the pylons at a lower than normal altitude. The left wing contacted the ground. The pilot was able to recover the aircraft to level flight and made a left base entry to runway 18. As the aircraft turned from base to final, it continued to bank to the left until the left wing contracted the ground and the aircraft cart wheeled. About three feet of the left aileron was found at the pylon where the first wing contact occurred. The pilot said that the aileron controls were jammed and he could only control the aircraft in roll by use of the rudder and power changes. As the aircraft turned final for the runway, the pilot said he reduced power however, he could not get the aircraft to respond fast enough and the left wing tip contacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29931
- Reported as
- North American AT-6G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49-3449
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- James A. Mott
- Registered owner
- Classic Airports
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- 4SD · Reno, NV
- Airport
- 4SD · Stead, runway 18, 8,000 × 150 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 99 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N29931 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.