# NTSB WPR10CA052: North American T6-G, N48N, Carson City, NV, November 8, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: November 8, 2009, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Carson City, NV - Coordinates: 39.192222, -119.734443 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1922&lon=-119.7344&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 6, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 75037 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR10CA052 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75037/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75037 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10CA052 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [North American T-6G, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=6400432), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [North American T-6G, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=6400432), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [North American T-6G, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=6400432), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [North American T-6G, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=6400432), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [North American T-6G, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=6400432), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis Airport operations had notified its tenants via emails, letters, and a Notice to Airman that maintenance and construction was being performed on the runway. This shortened the normally 5,906-foot-long runway down to a usable length of 2,500 feet. On the day of the accident the pilot took into consideration the shortened runway when he calculated the landing distance his airplane would require. The pilot reported that the approach was normal, and as the airplane crossed the threshold he reduced the power to idle to shorten the landing rollout. The touchdown was normal with no directional problems encountered. However, as the ground speed dissipated, the airplane began to drift off the runway. The pilot attempted to correct back to the runway with rudder. He reported that the rudder seemed to be ineffective and the airplane continued off the runway and into soft dirt, where a side load sheared off the landing gear struts. The pilot inspected the airplane and found no mechanical problems with the rudder. ## Factual narrative According to the pilot, airport operations had issued a notice to airman (NOTAM), and sent emails and letters to the airport tenants, that the runway would be under construction. The runway length had been shortened from its normal length of 5,906 feet to 2,500 feet. The pilot stated that on the day of the accident, he performed a preflight of the airplane and calculated the distance he would need for landing. He stated that he knew that a normal landing and roll out with brakes would require 2,000 feet of runway, and without brakes it would require 3,000 feet of runway to come to a stop. He also reported that "past practice had shown that minimum brake usage produced the best landing scenario, which meant that 2,500 [feet] was adequate for the T6 in consideration of all factors, including winds, moisture, density altitude, obstacles, grow weight, and other dynamics such as traffic, turn-off speed, and noise abatement…." The pilot stated that the approach was normal. As the airplane crossed the threshold for landing, he reduced the power to idle to shorten the landing rollout. The airplane touched down at 75 miles per hour (mph), and he noted no directional control issues on the landing roll out. As the ground speed dissipated to 30 mph, he felt the airplane start to drift to the right. He input left rudder, which he found to be ineffective. He added additional left rudder as the airplane continued off the runway's edge into the soft dirt. The pilot stated that he thought he may have a mechanical problem with the rudder and did not want to make the directional problem worse by applying brakes and oversteering. The pilot stated that the airplane's forward motion was slowed to 10 mph, and "set the plane into a side motion," which sheared the landing gear struts. The pilot inspected his airplane and found nothing wrong with the rudder. The pilot submitted The Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1), in which he indicated that there was no mechanical problem with his airplane. The accident was reported to the Safety Board on November 9, 2009, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been notified, and the airplane inspected. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N48N](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N48N-2013-07-25), registration cancelled 2013-07-25, S/N 84-7699, built 1942 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: NORTH AMERICAN T6-G - Registry model: [North American T-6G](https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-t-6g) (registry code 6400432) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R1340 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r1340-series) (registry code 52016, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 84-7699 - Airframe hours: 3429 - Engines: Pratt and Whitney R-1340-AN1 600 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2009, 97 hours before - Departed: CXP, Carson City, NV - Destination: CXP, Carson City, NV - Airport: CXP, Carson Airport, runway 09, 5,906 × 1,800 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; flight hours: 800 total, 279 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: RNO, 18 nm away ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75037. 4.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 647 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40322982&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Passenger Statement (item 2, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40322847&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - NOTAM (item 3, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40322849&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NOTAM-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.