North American AT-6D N3931S

Summary

On 17 June 1989 at about 14:10 local time, a North American AT-6D registered N3931S was involved in an accident near Earle, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 June 1989 at 14:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Earle, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

McNeely (M63)

Coordinates

35.2703, -90.4591

Aircraft

North American AT-6D

Registration

N3931S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC89FA136

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS FLYING ABILITY, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL, WHILE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE ALTITUDE AND AIRPEED WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT WAS PRACTICING HIS ROUTINE FOR AN AIR SHOW THAT WAS TO OCCUR LATER THE SAME DAY. ONE WITNESS RPRTD THE ACFT APCHD THE ARPT FROM THE WEST 'LOW & SLOW' AS IF TO LAND, THEN IT WAS MANEUVERED TO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE OVER RWY 8 AT 50 TO 100 FT AGL. AFTER REMAINING INVERTED FOR A SHORT TIME, THE ACFT WAS ROLLED BACK TO AN UPRIGHT ATTITUDE. HOWEVER, AS THE ACFT ROLLED UPRIGHT, IT ANGLED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, DESCENDED & CRASHED ON A HDG OF 140 DEG. THE WITNESS SAID THE ACFT SEEMED TO 'SLIP' SIDEWAY AS IT ROLLED TO THE UPRIGHT PSN BEFORE CRASHING. AFTER IMPACT, A FIRE ERUPTED & THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. THE PLT WAS A FORMER ASTRONAUT THAT WAS EMPLOYED BY NASA. HE HAD VISITED WITH A PROMINANT AT-6 PLT & HAD EXPRESSED SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE AT-6 PLT'S ROUTINE INVOLVING INVERTED FLT. THE AT-6 PLT HAD PROVIDED INFO, BUT ADZD THE ASTRONAUT AGAINST PERFORMING ROLLS IN THE AT-6 AT LOW ALT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.