| Crash location | 27.988333°N, 82.018334°W |
| Nearest city | Lakeland, FL
28.039465°N, 81.949804°W 5.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N7690U |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 14 Apr 2005 |
| Aircraft type | North American AT-6C |
| Additional details: | None |
On April 14, 2005, about 1815 eastern daylight time, a North American AT-6C, registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, incurred damage during the landing rollout at Lakeland, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated at Lakeland, Florida, the same day, about 1800.
The pilot stated that he was cleared to land, and on short final was asked by the tower controller whether he could make the first turnoff from runway 27L. He said the touchdown was normal, but he did not check his speed as he normally would, and thought his speed was slow enough to permit him to lower the tail, apply heavy braking, and make the turnoff. As he attempted the turn, he said that the right wing lifted, and his application of full control deflection did not correct the problem before the left wingtip impacted the ground. He said the airplane swerved hard to the right, and the left landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid to a stop, the propeller impacted the ground, and the left wing was bent. He said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
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.