North American AT-6D accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 29, 2023
On July 29, 2023 at about 2:05 pm local time, a 1944 North American AT-6D, registered N49961, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Wittman Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2023 · about 2:05 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Wittman Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6D, built 1944 · all AT-6Ds on the register
- Registration
- N49961 · registry record · serial 42-85374A
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger departed on a local flight and climbed to an altitude of about 3,900 ft mean sea level (msl) while turning to overfly a local lake. After leveling off, the airplane made a turn to the right, followed by a turn to the left. Performance calculations based on ADS-B and winds aloft data showed that, during the turns, the airplane decelerated, and the calculated load factor increased. The airplane slowed to a speed consistent with its published accelerated stall speed, then entered a rapid descent. A witness reported seeing the airplane in a flat spin to the right that continued until the airplane impacted the water. The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the water. Examination of the airplane, engine, and related systems did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, the pilot likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering and exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall/spin.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 687.8 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 580.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 28, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,434 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Texas Warbirds LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KOSH Oshkosh WI at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KOSH, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KOSH 291353Z 35004KT 10SM CLR 21/15 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP175 T02110150 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on August 20, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aircraft Examination Summary | PDF, 13 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 2 | Record of FAA Interview of Witness | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 48 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Manual Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Maintenance Record Excerpts | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 6 | Airframe Maintenance Record Excerpts | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 7 | Aircraft Performance Plots | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | ADS-B Data | spreadsheet · our copy | Download |
| 9 | Google Earth Plots of ADS-B Data | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 10 | ADS-B Data (Kmz File) | map file · our copy | Download |
| 11 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 12 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N49961 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- North American AT-6 Texan 228 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- North American 1,297 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Wittman Regional · nearest airport
- Wittman Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23FA332.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.