North American T-6-AT6D N7471C
1 April 2002 · Gainesville, Georgia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 1 April 2002 at about 20:00 local time, a North American T-6-AT6D registered N7471C, operated by U.S. Aircraft Inc., LLC, was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gainesville, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lee Gilmer Memorial (GVL)
- Coordinates
- 34.2731, -83.8269
- Aircraft
- North American T-6-AT6D
- Registration
- N7471C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- U.S. Aircraft Inc., LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Gainesville → Gainesville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL02FA072
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power following a supercharger bearing failure and subsequent collision with the ground while maneuvering for an emergency landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot and CFI were conducting a series of touch and go landings when smoke was seen streaming from the right lower section of the engine cowling after take off. Witnesses also reported hearing a rough engine condition. At approximately the same time, the pilot initiated a left turn towards the airport. The airplane was last seen in a nose low attitude. The airplane disappeared below the tree line and collided with the ground. Examination of the engine revealed damage throughout the supercharger assembly. The supercharge impeller was not totally secure on the impeller shaft. The impeller shaft retainer nut was loose on its shaft. This nut as well as the impeller shaft gear-teeth showed signs of wear. These teeth were worn down and disfigured. Both the aluminum cover plate and the bottom of the impeller blades showed signs of circular scraping. Small pieces of metal were found throughout the engine. Disassembly of the oil filter revealed metal shavings throughout. No metal parts or gear teeth were found in the oil sump.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other North American T-6 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 1999 | North American T-6-SNJ-5 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Sep 1997 | North American T-6-SNJ5 | Camden, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Mar 1990 | North American T-6 G | Albany, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 2017 | North American T 6 | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | Shadow Ventures LLC | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1983 | North American T-6 | Grand Junction, Colorado, United States | Dorr H. Burns | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2002 | Hispano Aviacion HA-200-SAETA | Perry, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Jun 2002 | Harrison PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER | Bainbridge, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Piper PA-32RT-300 | St. Simons Island, Georgia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2002 | Beechcraft BE-76 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Anthony Walker | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2002 | Aero Commander S2R | Cochran, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2002 | Cessna 150J | Brunswick, Georgia, United States | Johnnie R. Courson | Fatal | 1 |