North American T6-G accident near Carson City, Nevada, November 8, 2009
On November 8, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a North American T6-G, registered N48N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Carson City, Nevada (Carson Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Carson City, Nevada · Carson Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T6-G · all T6-Gs on the register
- Registration
- N48N · registry record · serial 84-7699
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Airport operations had notified its tenants via emails, letters, and a Notice to Airman that maintenance and construction was being performed on the runway. This shortened the normally 5,906-foot-long runway down to a usable length of 2,500 feet. On the day of the accident the pilot took into consideration the shortened runway when he calculated the landing distance his airplane would require. The pilot reported that the approach was normal, and as the airplane crossed the threshold he reduced the power to idle to shorten the landing rollout. The touchdown was normal with no directional problems encountered. However, as the ground speed dissipated, the airplane began to drift off the runway. The pilot attempted to correct back to the runway with rudder. He reported that the rudder seemed to be ineffective and the airplane continued off the runway and into soft dirt, where a side load sheared off the landing gear struts. The pilot inspected the airplane and found no mechanical problems with the rudder.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 279 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,429 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2009; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXP Carson City NV at 5:45 pm
- Destination: CXP Carson City NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 5,906 ft by 1,800 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from RNO, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.