North American AT-6C accident near Lakeland, Florida, April 14, 2005
On April 14, 2005 at about 11:15 pm local time, a North American AT-6C, registered N7690U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeland, Florida. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's attempted turn off the runway at excessive speed, resulting in the right wing raising, the left wing touching the runway, and the left landing gear collapsing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2005 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6C · all AT-6Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7690U · registry record · serial 847653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the tower controller had asked whether he could make the first turnoff and said that he had too much speed as he attempted to make the turn. He said the right wing lifted and he could not correct it before the left wingtip impacted the ground. The airplane swerved hard to the right, and the left landing gear collapsed, bending the left wing. He said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane 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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,810 hours in all; 467 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,696 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 29, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,631 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2005; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 10:55 pm
- Destination: LAL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 6:22 pm from LAL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.