North American T-6G N7197C accident near Starkville, Mississippi

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering at low altitude.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was conducting a series of low-level maneuvers when the accident occurred. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain. A postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Although ethanol was detected in the pilot’s cavity blood, no ethanol was detected in the pilot’s vitreous specimens. Because vitreous specimens are generally less susceptible to contamination and postmortem microbial ethanol production than other specimen types, the absence of detectable ethanol in the pilot’s vitreous specimens indicated that the detected ethanol in the pilot’s cavity blood was likely from sources other than consumption and was thus not a factor in the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21FA355 for the full record.