Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000 accident near Jackson, Mississippi, July 29, 2006
On July 29, 2006 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000, registered N6106, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed on final approach resulting in an inadvertent stall and a subsequent loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2006 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000
- Registration
- N6106 · registry record · serial 604
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,300-hour instrument rated private pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped vintage airplane while landing to the southeast at his privately owned grass airstrip. The pilot reported that the single engine biplane swerved to the right during the takeoff roll and the airplane began turning to the left after the airplane became airborne. The pilot continued his climb until the airplane cleared the trees on the north side of the airstrip and allowed the airplane to continued the left turn until he was back over the runway. The pilot stated on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report (NTSB form 6120.1) that while on short final to land, "the nose fell, I tried to add power but the engine hesitated and the airplane impacted the ground." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, examined the airplane and found the main landing gear collapsed, as well as fire damage to the upper wing. The inspector was also able to establish flight control continuity. The examination also determined that during the impact sequence, an external engine oil line separated and oil was sprayed on the hot exhaust stack that initiated the post impact fire. The pilot reported that at the time of the mishap, the winds were variable at 2 knots. The winds at the nearest weather reporting facility, located 20 miles southeast of the accident site, were reporting the wind from 240 degrees at 3 knots at the time of the mishap.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,702 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 670-6m (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jackson MS
- Destination: Jackson MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KHKS, 20 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N6106 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.