# Incident 19970520014869I: Waco UBF, Groton - New Lo, CT, May 20, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 20, 1997, 12:36 local time
- Place: Groton - New Lo, CT
- Airport: Groton-New London
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Idling Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3301° N, 72.0451° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GROTON-NEW LONDON (GON), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3301&lon=-72.0451&mi=10
- Aircraft: N53WC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N53WC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Waco Classic YMF (registry code 9600413, https://openairdocs.org/model/waco-classic-ymf) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Jacobs R755B series (registry code 35007, https://openairdocs.org/engine/jacobs-r755b-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: WACO UBF
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 550 total, 5 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970520014869I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: PILOT, MITCHELL LAMPERT, STATED THEY WERE ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM DANBURY TO GROTON AND RETURNED TO DANBURY. MR. LAMPERT STATED THAT THEY WERE TAXIING TO RUNWAY 23 AT GROTON FOR DEPARTURE. PILOT STATED HE STOPPED AIRCRAFT ON TAXIWAY TO DO RUN-UP CHECKS. WHILE DOING MAG CHECKS, AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP ON ITS NOSE WITH THE PROP STRIKING THE GROUND. PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT A GUST OF WIND. AIRCRAFT SUFFERED BENT ENGINE COWLING, BENT OIL COOLER, AND CRACKS AND DENTS TO BOTH WHEEL FAIRINGS. THE PROP WAS DESTROYED. PETER MATTON, A CFI AND MR. LAMPERT'S INSTRUCTOR IN THE WACO AIRCRAFT STATED HE WAS NOT ON THE CONTROLS WHEN THE PLANE'S TAIL PITCHED UP. MR. MATTON FURTHER STATED THAT HE WAS FUNCTIONING AS A PASSENGER ON THIS FLIGHT. MR. LAMPERT STATED HE WAS UNSURE OF STICK POSITION WHEN TAIL PITCHED UP. MR. MATTON ALSO STATED HE WAS UNAWARE OF STICK POSITION WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED. MR. CHET MOORE, GROTON TOWER STATED AIRCRAFT HAD TURNED INTO THE WIND WHILE ON TAXIWAY AND WAS NOT YET CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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