North American AT-6A accident near Albany, Texas, July 18, 2002
On July 18, 2002 at about 2:30 pm local time, a North American AT-6A, registered N42BA, was destroyed in an accident near Albany, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2002 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6A · all AT-6As on the register
- Registration
- N42BA · registry record · serial 88-9723
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
One witness reported the airplane flew over between 500-700 feet agl, "wagged his wings" and departed the area; a second witness reported the airplane perform a barrel roll type maneuver 1-2 times, and then departed the area. Another witness observed the airplane flying at an estimated 300 feet agl. A witness, who was on an oil drilling rig located 0.4 nautical miles from the accident site, observed the airplane in level flight (approximately 500 feet agl) fly by the rig, climb, turn left in a 30 degree bank, and departed the area. Witnesses reported the prevailing winds were 5 to 10 miles per hour, skies clear with a few clouds, and the temperature approximately 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The airplane impacted a rocky creek bed bordered on one side by a 74-foot ravine. Mesquite trees, brush, grasses, and cactus, were found in the vicinity of the main wreckage and the surrounding ranch land. Deformation of the airplane and the physical evidence at the accident site was consistent with a near vertical left wing low attitude at the time of the accident. Impact forces destroyed the airplane. No evidence of an in-flight mechanical and/or flight control malfunction was found that would have rendered the airplane uncontrollable prior to the impact. In the previous 6 months, the 3,861.1-hour private pilot logged 39.5 hours (3.8 in the last 30 days) in the accident aircraft.
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
- Flight time: 3,861 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 22, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,608.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 2, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 4,189 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T23 Albany TX at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from ABI, 26 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 N42BA 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.