North American AT-6D accident near Destin, Florida, April 17, 2001
On April 17, 2001 at about 2:45 pm local time, a North American AT-6D, registered N1364N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Destin, Florida (Destin-Ft. Walton Beach airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the flight instructor to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing rollout while landing with a crosswind in gusty conditions, which resulted in a ground swerve, and the aircraft exiting the runway and incurring substantial damage when it became stuck in sand.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2001 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · Destin-Ft. Walton Beach
- 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
- N1364N · registry record · serial 53418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that during the approach to land, just prior to touchdown with the main landing gear, he encountered wind gusts. He said as the tail of the aircraft began to settle, he encountered a gust from the right front quarter, and the aircraft weather vaned to the right. He said that he applied corrective control input but insufficient control authority was available to arrest the excursion, and the aircraft exited the runway to the right, into loose sand, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. He further stated that prior to the accident there had been no malfunction or failure to the aircraft, or any of its systems.
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: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 1,988 hours in all; 297 in this make and model; 209 in the last 90 days; 91 in the last 30 days; 1,288 as pilot in command; 450 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,583 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 16, 2001; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: North American-Top Gun Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: DTS Destin FL at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,999 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from DTS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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 MIA01LA124.