North American AT-6D N49961

Summary

On 29 July 2023 at about 14:05 local time, a North American AT-6D registered N49961, operated by Texas Warbirds LLC, was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 July 2023 at 14:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Wittman Regional (OSH)

Coordinates

44.0503, -88.4605

Aircraft

North American AT-6D

Registration

N49961

Category

Airplane

Year built

1944

Engines

1

Operator

Texas Warbirds LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oshkosh → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23FA332

2 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger departed on a local flight and climbed to an altitude of about 3,900 ft mean sea level (msl) while turning to overfly a local lake. After leveling off, the airplane made a turn to the right, followed by a turn to the left. Performance calculations based on ADS-B and winds aloft data showed that, during the turns, the airplane decelerated, and the calculated load factor increased. The airplane slowed to a speed consistent with its published accelerated stall speed, then entered a rapid descent. A witness reported seeing the airplane in a flat spin to the right that continued until the airplane impacted the water. The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the water. Examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, the pilot likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering and exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall/spin.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.