Veteran airshow pilot Bill Leff had an incident Thursday afternoon at the Naples airport in Naples, FL. Leff, flying his WWII era North American T-6 Texan, N22NA encountered an engine failure on takeoff but was able to safely land in the grass. Upon landing, the landing gear collapsed. Pictures posted online show substantial damage to the aircraft.
In an interview with WINK news, Leff credited his training for his ability to safely land. “I’m lucky everything came out the way it did. There’s a certain amount of luck to everything,” Leff said.
Naples Fire Chief Steve McInery reported that the aircraft made a hard landing which damaged the aircraft. Fire officials say the aircraft was only about 300ft in the air when it encountered the issue. Leff was not injured.
You may remember back in 2007, Leff was forced to land on a Wisconsin highway after the aircraft had an engine failure.
We’re glad to hear Bill is okay and look forward to seeing him and his beautiful T-6 in the sky at an airshow soon!
Barry De Vries
Has Bill Leff’s T6G N22NA been restored since the 2014 incident at Naples airport, FL?
I took training in that aircraft at Malden Air Base, MO in 1953.