North American AT-6D accident near Pickens, South Carolina, October 24, 2021
On October 24, 2021 at about 7:45 pm local time, a North American AT-6D, registered N3771M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pickens, South Carolina (Pickens County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with rocky terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2021 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pickens, South Carolina · Pickens County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6D · all AT-6Ds on the register
- Registration
- N3771M · registry record · serial 88-17109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was landing his tailwheel airplane at his home airport at the conclusion of a cross-country trip. The approach and touchdown were normal. The tail came down “a little sooner than I expected” and the airplane briefly lifted off again a few inches. After the airplane touched down again, it began to ground loop, and departed the side of the runway about 1/3 of the way down from the approach end. The airplane continued through the grass and down a drop off, striking several large rocks before coming to a stop. The left main landing gear sheared off and structural damage to the lower fuselage and left wing resulted. The pilot stated that the accident was “pure pilot error” and there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,109 hours in all; 387 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: November 7, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,254 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 5,340 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 (piston); 7,254 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RMG Rome GA at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KLQK, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLQK 241955Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/12 A3010 RMK AO2 T02390121
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N3771M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA22LA032.