Aviat Aircraft INC A-1C accident near Hurtsboro, Alabama, December 6, 2015
On December 6, 2015 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 2013 Aviat Aircraft INC A-1C, registered N76WY, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hurtsboro, Alabama (Private Property 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 pilot's incorrect use of brake pressure during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2015 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hurtsboro, Alabama · Private Property · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Aircraft INC A-1C 200, built 2013 · all A-1Cs on the register
- Registration
- N76WY · registry record · serial 3186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a tail-wheel equipped airplane landing at an unpublished airstrip reported that he made a 3-point touchdown, moved the flight controls full aft, and applied brakes. During the landing roll, the pilot reported that he saw trees ahead and increased brake pressure, but as he did so the nose tilted forward and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,650 hours in all; 12 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 115 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-460 (piston); 166 hours total
- Operator: Sawtooth Plantation LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: EUF Eufaula AL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: None Hurtsboro AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway None, 1,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from KEUF, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.