NTSB ATL90LA078 — 1990-03-09 · ALBANY, Georgia, United States

Current FAA registration · N96143

Make / Model: NORTH AMERICAN T-6G
Year of manufacture: 1949 · 41 years old at event
Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (600 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19601212
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S AD62DD

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N96143 North American T-6 G None

Probable cause & findings

A LOCKED BRAKE WHICH PREVENTED THE PILOT FROM MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE BRAKE MATERIAL EXPANDED AFTER BECOMING WATER SOAKED WHILE TAXIING.

Factual narrative

WHILE ATTEMPTING A FULL STOP LANDING, THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHEN THE LEFT BRAKE ASSEMBLY LOCKED AT TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED AND VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED EXPERIENCING A LOCKED LEFT BRAKE WHICH PREVENTED HIM FROM REGAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT CONTENDED AFTER SOME RESEARCH THAT THE POOL OF WATER WHICH HE TAXIIED THROUGH WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF FROM GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI CAUSED THE BRAKE MATERIAL TO EXPAND ABOUT .090 INCHES. NORMAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE DRUM AND THE BRAKE MATERIAL IS .010 INCHES. THIS EXPANSION CAUSED THE LEFT BRAKE TO LOCK, PREVENTING THE WHEEL FROM ROLLING FREELY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_ATL90LA078.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.