Crash was due to pilot error, exceeding bank angle followed by stall

Air Force officials completed the investigation of a T-6A Texan II that crashed April 3 at the Savannah Hilton-Head International Airport in Georgia killing two Air Force pilots.

The investigation determined the accident was caused by pilot error.

The pilots, Capts. Judson Brinson and Thomas Moore, were both assigned to the 39th Flying Training Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The investigation board could not determine with certainty which pilot was flying the aircraft at the time of the accident.

Returning from a training flight to Moody, the pilots had just lifted off when the accident occurred.

For unknown reasons, the pilot flying the aircraft deviated from normal flight limits by exceeding the maximum bank angle of 90 degrees, and allowing the airspeed to fall below the minimum speed of 140 knots.

The combination of the high bank angle and decreased airspeed caused the aircraft to stall and roll. No attempt was made to apply proper stall recovery procedures. As a result, the aircraft was nearly inverted at a much lower than normal altitude and was too low for safe ejection, the investigation found.

The aircraft, valued at $4.2 million, was destroyed.

(Our thanks to the Air Education and Training Command News Service)

FMI: www.af.mil