North American AT-6F N244GR
31 August 2012 · Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 31 August 2012 at about 12:40 local time, a North American AT-6F registered N244GR was involved in an accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. 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 12:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
- Nearest airport
- Council Bluffs Municipal (CBF)
- Coordinates
- 41.2561, -95.7553
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6F
- Registration
- N244GR
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Council Bluffs → Council Bluffs
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN12CA607
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
An unlocking of the excessively worn tailwheel lock mechanism, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Immediately after liftoff, the flight instructor simulated an engine failure, and the pilot executed a rejected takeoff, landing on the remaining runway. When the tailwheel contacted the runway, it began to "shimmy violently and disengaged the steering pin." The airplane veered to the left, and the pilot was unable to stop the veer using the right rudder and brake. The airplane exited the left side of the runway while moving sideways to the right. The right main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. An examination of the tailwheel mechanism showed excessive wear in both the locking collar hole and the drag links in the tailwheel assembly. It was likely that the locking pin had become retracted from the locking collar on the tailwheel at some time during the takeoff or during the landing. Both pilots stated that they had locked the mechanism before takeoff and had good directional control of the airplane during the takeoff run.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other North American AT-6F accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 2019 | North American AT 6F | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States | Witham Warbirds Llc | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2021 | North American AT-6F | Adrian, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 2000 | North American AT-6F | Grass Valley, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 1995 | North American AT-6F | Long Beach, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Feb 2012 | Crain Jac A BD-4 | Clarinda, Iowa, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Aug 2012 | Cessna 560XL | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | Elliott Aviation Flight Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 2012 | Quicksilver SPORT II | Manchester, Iowa, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 Jul 2012 | Piper PA-32-300 | Elkader, Iowa, United States | Wild River Flying Club, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2012 | Robinson R44 II | Red Oak, Iowa, United States | Johnson Helicopter Services, LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2012 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Clutier, Iowa, United States | William A. Konicek | Fatal | 1 |