Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA10FA342
NORTH AMERICAN AT-6 — Destin, FL
| Date | July 2, 2010 |
| Location | Destin, FL |
| Aircraft | NORTH AMERICAN AT-6 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 57 |
| Pilot total time | 1,924 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 500 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - F
What happened
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.