NTSB CEN23LA235 — 2023-06-09 · Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N16JV

Make / Model: NORTH AMERICAN T-6G
Year of manufacture: 1949 · 74 years old at event
Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (600 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19610110
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0F031

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N16JV North American T-6G None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

During landing, the tailwheel equipped airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. The pilot applied right rudder and began transitioning the tail down when the airplane began a ground loop to the right. The airplane exited the runway, which resulted in separation of the left main landing gear and substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot noted that there were thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident. He added that a better understanding of wind shear may have assisted in preventing the loss of control. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA235.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.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (wind shear, loss of control, thunderstorm). All research papers