North American T28 accident near Greenwood, Mississippi, September 23, 2016
On September 23, 2016 at about 10:05 pm local time, a 1956 North American T28, registered N526D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Greenwood, Mississippi. 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
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2016 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T28 C, built 1956 · all T28s on the register
- Registration
- N526D · no longer on the register · serial 140526
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a local flight in the vintage military trainer airplane when the engine began to sputter and then experienced a total loss of power. He made an emergency landing in a farm field with the landing gear retracted and the airplane collided with a shallow drainage ditch. The engine separated from the firewall and came to rest under the right side of the fuselage. An undetermined amount of fuel was found in both wing fuel tanks. On-site examination of the engine revealed no mechanical failures; however, the engine was heavily impact damaged. No additional examination of the engine was performed and the reason for the power loss was not determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 8,501 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1820-86 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5A6 Winona MS
- Destination: 5A6 Winona MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from GWO, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 4, 2020. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record FAA Notes LA328 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.