North American AT-6C accident near Westfield, Massachusetts, June 3, 1983
On June 3, 1983 at about 2:58 pm local time, a North American AT-6C, registered N5286N, was destroyed in an accident near Westfield, Massachusetts (Barnes Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 1983 · about 2:58 pm local time
- Place
- Westfield, Massachusetts · Barnes Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6C · all AT-6Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5286N · no longer on the register · serial 88-9437
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PLT WAS ON A LOW LEVEL, AEROBATIC WAIVER, COMPETENCY CHECK FLT. HE WAS SCHEDULED TO DEMONSTRATE A LOOP, AN AILERON ROLL, A SPLIT-S, AN IMMELMANN, A BARREL ROLL & A 4-POINT HESITATION ROLL. THE MINIMUM ALT FOR THESE MANEUVERS WAS TO BE 500 FT AGL. FOR THE MOST PART, WITNESSES AGREED THE 1ST 5 MANEUVERS WERE PERFORMED WELL, WITH MINOR EXCEPTIONS. HOWEVER, DURING THE FINAL MANEUVER, A 4-POINT ROLL TO THE LEFT, THE ACFT CRASHED. MOST OF THE WITNESSES BELIEVED THE PLT STARTED THE MANEUVER BELOW 500 FT AGL. REPORTEDLY, AT THE 1ST POINT OF THE ROLL, THE NOSE HAD BEGUN TO DROP. AT THE 2ND POINT (INVERTED), THE NOSE HAD DROPPED THRU THE HORIZON TO PERHAPS 10 DEG LOW. ONE EXPERIENCED PLT REPORTED THE ACFT DISHED OUT FROM ABOUT THE 3RD POINT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE IMPACTED IN A SOMEWHAT NOSE LOW, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT UP ELEVATOR & RIGHT RUDDER WERE APPLIED JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE PLT HAD APRX 500 HRS SINGLE ENGINE EXPERIENCE & RECENT PRACTICE SESSIONS IN AEROBATIC FLT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 277 in the last 90 days; 107 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,403 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1983; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-1340-AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:59 pm from BAF
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.
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.