North American AT-6D accident near Oshkosh, WI
On July 29, 2023, a North American AT-6D (airplane) was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, WI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 29, 2023
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6D · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.050°N, 88.460°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230729192736
Official records · CEN23FA332
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 29, 2023, at 0905 central daylight time, a North American AT-6D airplane, N49961, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture fly-in, held at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin. According to ADS-B flight track data, the airplane departed from runway 27 at OSH about 0857. The airplane made a right turn toward the north and continued about 3 miles before it turned toward the east-northeast. The flight path took the airplane over Lake Winnebago, outside of the OSH Class D airspace. The airplane proceeded out over the lake and reached a peak altitude of 3,900 ft, before it descended rapidly into the lake at 0905. (See figures 1 and 2). Performance calculations based on ADS-B and winds aloft data revealed that, during the final portion of the flight, the airplane leveled off at 3,900 ft msl and made a right turn followed by a left turn before the rapid descent. After leveling off, the airplane’s calibrated airspeed (CAS) was about 110 mph. During the subsequent turns, the airplane slowed, reaching its lowest speed of 87 mph CAS just before the rapid descent. The airplane’s calculated load factor during the second turn reached about 1.8 g. The published 1g stall speed (wings level) for the airplane with landing gear and flaps retracted was 67 mph at a loaded weight of 5,500 lbs. Based on the ca
Probable cause
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.
More accidents in WI
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Browse: Wisconsin · 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.
