North American AT-6D accident near Granville, Pennsylvania, January 5, 1983
On January 5, 1983 at about 6:34 pm local time, a North American AT-6D, registered N29947, was destroyed in an accident near Granville, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 1983 · about 6:34 pm local time
- Place
- Granville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American AT-6D · all AT-6Ds on the register
- Registration
- N29947 · registry record · serial 42-85697A
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD AND COLLIDED WITH A FEW SCATTERED APPLE TREES. IRONICALLY THERE WAS AN AIRPORT ADJACENT TO THE LANDING SITE. THE PILOT HAD ENCOUNTERED CLOUD COVER AT HIS DESTINATION AND DIVERTED TO PHILIPSBURG. HE WAS ADVISED BY RADIO THAT PHILIPSBURG HAD NO FUEL SO HE DECIDED TO GO TO UNIVERSITY PARK. AFTER DESCENDING THROUGH SCATTERED CLOUDS INTO THE WRONG VALLEY AND NOT SEEING THE AIRPORT THE PILOT SAW AN OPEN FIELD AND HEADED FOR IT. ENROUTE THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE PILOT LANDED WITH GEAR AND FLAPS UP. THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN OFF BY A TREE
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,600 hours in all; 1,185 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,517 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1982; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R1430 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EKM Elkhart IN at 3:40 pm
- Destination: UNV State College PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N29947 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC83LA048.