Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB CEN12LA324
NORTH AMERICAN T-6G — Perry, MI
| Date | May 28, 2012 |
| Location | Perry, MI |
| Aircraft | NORTH AMERICAN T-6G |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 60 |
| Pilot total time | 25,560 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 73 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Heading/course-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The pilot stated that the run-up and takeoff were normal. After takeoff to the south, he was planning to overfly the runway for a “photo pass.” He reported that he executed a slight right turn, followed by a left turn. He noted that the engine was running normally. However, he did not recall any subsequent events regarding the accident sequence. A witness reported that once airborne, the airplane turned right and then started a left turn above the trees. He noted that during the left turn, the airplane bank angle steepened and the descent rate increased. The engine sounded normal until impact with a barn. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact malfunction or failure. The pilot reported the wind was from the southwest, gusting to 20 knots with light turbulence, at the time of the accident. Based on the reported prevailing wind, a left turn after takeoff resulted in the airplane encountering a progressively increasing downwind condition during the turn.