North American T-6-SNJ5 accident near Camden, SC
On September 6, 1997, a North American T-6-SNJ5 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Camden, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 6, 1997
- Place
- Camden, SC
- Aircraft
- North American T-6-SNJ5 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.260°N, 80.611°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X08782
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 6, 1997, at 1835 eastern daylight time, a North American T-6-SNJ5, N1047C, experienced a loss of control in flight while maneuvering near Woodward Field, Camden, South Carolina. The airplane was operated by the Western North Carolina Air Museum under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There was no flight plan filed for this personal flight. The commercial pilot and his passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated at 1820 from Woodward Field. A friend of the pilot stated he was on the last flight of the day after giving rides in the airplane all day at an airshow. The accident flight was a personal flight in which the pilot was taking the passenger for a ride to thank him for his help throughout the day. According to the witness, the aircraft was topped off before a previous flight, and he estimated the aircraft had between 80 and 85 gallons of fuel onboard. Two witnesses in the area observed a low flying airplane which was doing steep turns, approximately 60 - 70 degrees of bank. They heard the airplane engine "begin missing". Ten seconds later, the engine quit. During this time, the pilot remained in a left bank. According to the witnesses, "after the airspeed deteriorated, the aircraft snapped, and rolled to the right and entered a right hand spin". They observed two full rotations before the airplane disappeared behind the trees. During the second rotation, they believed the engine restarted and was
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to take remedial action after a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, leading to a spin. Factors were the pilot's use of unapproved medication, and the FAA's inadequate certification and standards for airman.
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Browse: South Carolina · North American aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
