No fatalities

Pilot Conducts Go-Around After Landing on Wet Grass Strip, Strikes Power Line and Trees

Roxbury, NY, United States

On May 9, 2014, a NORTH AMERICAN AT6 - C C was involved in an aviation accident near Roxbury, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance, which resulted in the inflight collision with a power line. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot attempted to land on a private grass strip due to deteriorating weather and low fuel. Braking was ineffective on wet grass. During a go-around, the aircraft struck a power line and trees, then collided with the ground, sustaining substantial damage.

Incident Details

A pilot en route to his destination reported that the weather at the destination was forecast to be VFR. However, during the flight, the weather deteriorated with lowering ceilings. As a precaution, the pilot began searching for a place to land due to the closing weather and declining fuel. He located a private grass strip and initiated a landing.

Upon touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes but experienced minimal braking effectiveness because the grass surface was wet. Realizing he would be unable to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, the pilot initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the aircraft struck a power line followed by trees, after which the pilot lost control and the aircraft collided with the ground.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage as a result of the collision with the power line, trees, and ground.

Pilot Report

The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotAltitude — Not attained/maintainedAwareness of condition

Other contributing factors

Decision related to condition