NTSB LAX91LA392 — 1991-09-11 · RENO, Nevada, United States

Current FAA registration · N29931

Make / Model: NORTH AMERICAN AT-6G
Year of manufacture: 1943 · 48 years old at event
Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (600 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19820706
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A319C4

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N29931 North American AT-6G Minor

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING AROUND A PYLON, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING LANDING.

Factual narrative

THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING THE RENO AIR RACE COURSE DURING TRIALS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE RACE COURSE AND SEEMED TO ENTER A TURN AT ONE OF THE PYLONS AT A LOWER THAN NORMAL ALTITUDE. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT TO LEVEL FLIGHT AND MADE A LEFT BASE ENTRY TO RUNWAY 18. AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL, IT CONTINUED TO BANK TO THE LEFT UNTIL THE LEFT WING CONTRACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CART WHEELED. ABOUT THREE FEET OF THE LEFT AILERON WAS FOUND AT THE PYLON WHERE THE FIRST WING CONTACT OCCURRED. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AILERON CONTROLS WERE JAMMED AND HE COULD ONLY CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT IN ROLL BY USE OF THE RUDDER AND POWER CHANGES. AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED FINAL FOR THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT SAID HE REDUCED POWER HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT GET THE AIRCRAFT TO RESPOND FAST ENOUGH AND THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_LAX91LA392.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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