North American AT-6D accident near Brookings, South Dakota, August 7, 2003
On August 7, 2003, a North American AT-6D, registered N9272K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brookings, South Dakota (Brookings Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate fuel supply for the flight, and the inadequate preflight by the pilot resulting in exhaustion of the fuel supply and subsequent loss of engine power. The tree was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2003
- Place
- Brookings, South Dakota · Brookings Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6D · all AT-6Ds on the register
- Registration
- N9272K · registry record · serial 88-15693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A North American AT-6D sustained substantial damage during a wheels-up forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot stated that he had just taken off and was on a downwind for a pass at the field when he lost fuel pressure and engine power. He said that the engine "caught" a couple of times and then quit. He said that he selected a hay field to execute a forced landing to and decided to land wheels up. He stated that he hit a tree in the field during the landing attempt. According to a Sheriff’s report, the pilot reported that he was running out of fuel and was looking for a place to land. As he was traveling north he clipped a tree, struck the ground, and then slid to a stop. The pilot said that he did not know how much fuel was on-board the airplane. There was no fuel present in the gas tank after the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKX Brookings SD
- Destination: MDS Madison SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI03LA249.