North American AT-6 N92778

Summary

On 2 July 2010 at about 17:19 local time, a North American AT-6 registered N92778, operated by Timothy McDonald, was involved in an accident near Destin, Florida, 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.

Date

2 July 2010 at 17:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Destin, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Destin-Fort Walton Beach (DTS)

Coordinates

30.3664, -86.4000

Aircraft

North American AT-6

Registration

N92778

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Timothy McDonald

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Destin → Destin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10FA342

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to perform the maneuvers at a low altitude and over water.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was giving airplane rides to his family members when the accident occurred. Witness interviews and global positioning system (GPS) data revealed that the pilot was performing lazy-eights, over water, about 1 mile south of the beach. The airplane descended to an altitude of 355 feet, reversed course from east to west with its "smoke on," and increased groundspeed to 184 knots. The airplane then climbed to about 1,200 feet and completed three lazy-eight turns. During the third turn, at an altitude of 1,254 feet, the airplane's groundspeed slowed to 66 knots. The airplane stalled and completed a one-half turn spin. The pilot recovered from the spin and was in the process of recovering from the ensuing dive, when the airplane impacted the water. Two of the witnesses were experienced in the accident airplane make and model. They were surprised that the pilot was performing maneuvers low over the water, as the water did not provide any ground reference with regard to altitude, position, or horizon. They also expected the airplane to be about 3,000 feet, while maneuvering, as that make and model airplane needed "significant altitude" to recover from a stall or spin. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.