Amateur-built TANGO 2 accident near Sunrise Beach Village, Texas, June 10, 2016
On June 10, 2016 at about 1:45 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built TANGO 2, registered N324TT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sunrise Beach Village, Texas (Sunrise Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The nosewheel fairing becoming packed with debris during landing on the soft field due to a gap between the nosewheel tire and the fairing, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2016 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sunrise Beach Village, Texas · Sunrise Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TANGO 2, built 2007
- Registration
- N324TT · registry record · serial 24
- 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 while decelerating during the landing roll on a grass runway the nose gear began to skid. The pilot further reported that the nose gear impacted an ant hill, which resulted in a nose over and substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the pilot reported that the tolerance between the nose wheel tire and fairing was estimated to be 1/4". The pilot further reported that there was debris build up in the back of the nose gear fairing and that during a postaccident check the nose gear was not able to rotate as freely as the main landing gears.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear/wheel fairing › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 2,660.5 hours in all; 7.5 in this make and model; 7.5 in the last 90 days; 4.8 in the last 30 days; 2,630.1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 27, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 175.4 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 175 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2KL Sunrise Beach Village TX at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 2KL Sunrise Beach Village TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 2,649 ft by 110 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KDZB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 11, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.