- Date
- April 17, 2001, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Destin, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1364NNorth American AT-6D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010417008989A
- Case key
- 52089
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 flight instructor to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing rollout while landing with a crosswind in gusty conditions, which resulted in a ground swerve, and the aircraft exiting the runway and incurring substantial damage when it became stuck in sand.
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 flight instructor stated that during the approach to land, just prior to touchdown with the main landing gear, he encountered wind gusts. He said as the tail of the aircraft began to settle, he encountered a gust from the right front quarter, and the aircraft weather vaned to the right. He said that he applied corrective control input but insufficient control authority was available to arrest the excursion, and the aircraft exited the runway to the right, into loose sand, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. He further stated that prior to the accident there had been no malfunction or failure to the aircraft, or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
On April 17, 2001, about 0945 central daylight time, a North American AT-6D, N1364N, registered to T-6 Warbirds Inc., and operated by North American Top-Gun Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, ran off the runway while landing at Destin, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage, and the commercial-rated pilot, and dual student were not injured. The flight originated from Destin, Florida, the same day, about 0915.
The flight instructor stated that after a 30-minute familiarization flight, he demonstrated a touch-and-go landing without incident, and remained in the traffic pattern with the intent of performing a full stop landing. He said that his approach to land was normal, but just prior to touchdown with the main landing gear, he encountered wind gusts. He said as the tail of the aircraft began to settle, he encountered a gust from the right front quarter, and the aircraft weather vaned to the right. He said that he applied corrective control input, but insufficient control authority was available to arrest the excursion, and the aircraft exited the runway to the right, into loose sand, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. The instructor further stated that prior to the accident there had been no malfunction or failure to the aircraft, or any of its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1364N
- Reported as
- North American AT-6D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 53418
- Airframe hours
- 11,583
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- North American-Top Gun Inc.
- Registered owner
- T-6 Warbirds Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 16, 2001 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- DTS · Destin, FL
- Airport
- DTS · Destin-Ft. Walton Beach, runway 32, 4,999 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2000
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,988 total · 297 in this make and model · 1,288 as pilot in command · 209 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- DTS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.