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20110312007139A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Waco UPF-7 · Brownsville, TX · March 12, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 12, 2011 · 15:13 local
Place
Brownsville, TX
Airport
Brownsville International
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N30136
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11FA228
Reported as
Waco UPF-7
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R-985 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,275 total730 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N30136Registered now · Waco UPF-7S/N 5533 · Built 1980Airframe modelWaco UPF-7Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On mar. 12, 2011, a Waco UPF-7, aircraft performing during an airshow, lost power and crashed into a wooded area at the Brownsville airport. After coming out of an inverted manuever the engine sputerred and two plumes of fire could be seen coming from the exhaust pipe, on the right side of the R-985 pratt and whitney engine. There was a post crash fire. The fire appears to have started on the right aft side of the engine. The smoke oil line that goes into the engine exhaust broke off on impact. The wingwalker was critically injured and the pilot was injured seriously. Note: apr. 4, 2011, the engine inspection and run up was accomplished by the company that overhauled the engine, tulsa aircraft engines, out of tulsa, Oklahoma. The NTSB and two aviation safety inspectors were present for the inspection and run up. Two of the lower cylinders were replaced due to damage during the impact with the ground. There were no anomilies with the engine. The fuel pump was good. They found an anomoly in the fuel servo. The fuel servo was bench tested and it was discovered that at low power settings it would run rich. During the inspection a lever that is inside the servo was found to be slightly bent, this they said would cause the servo to run rich if it was bent bad enough. The bend on the lever was not visible to the naked eye. During the visual inspection of the servo the air chamber was dry. There was no fuel in the chamber indicating that the bend on the lever was not causing the engine to run rich. Note: mar. 15, 2011, a (witness) mechanic, at the Brownsville airport said that on Friday March 11, as N30136 was taxiing by, the engine quit. He said that the pilot restarted the engine with no further problems. Apr. 13, 2011, we called privacy data omitted and asked him about the possibility of an onboard fire prior to the aircraft impacting the ground. His answer was that there was no fire onboard. Apr. 28, 2011, cause of accident is inconclusive at this point.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAR. 12, 2011, A WACO UPF-7, AIRCRAFT PERFORMING DURING AN AIRSHOW, LOST POWER AND CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA AT THE BROWNSVILLE AIRPORT. AFTER COMING OUT OF AN INVERTED MANUEVER THE ENGINE SPUTERRED AND TWO PLUMES OF FIRE COULD BE SEEN COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE R-985 PRATT AND WHITNEY ENGINE. THERE WAS A POST CRASH FIRE. THE FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED ON THE RIGHT AFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE SMOKE OIL LINE THAT GOES INTO THE ENGINE EXHAUST BROKE OFF ON IMPACT. THE WINGWALKER WAS CRITICALLY INJURED AND THE PILOT WAS INJURED SERIOUSLY.NOTE: APR. 4, 2011, THE ENGINE INSPECTION AND RUN UP WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE COMPANY THAT OVERHAULED THE ENGINE, TULSA AIRCRAFT ENGINES, OUT OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA. THE NTSB AND TWO AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS WERE PRESENT FOR THE INSPECTION AND RUN UP. TWO OF THE LOWER CYLINDERS WERE REPLACED DUE TO DAMAGE DURING THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO ANOMILIES WITH THE ENGINE. THE FUEL PUMP WAS GOOD. THEY FOUND AN ANOMOLY IN THE FUEL SERVO. THE FUEL SERVO WAS BENCH TESTED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AT LOW POWER SETTINGS IT WOULD RUN RICH. DURING THE INSPECTION A LEVER THAT IS INSIDE THE SERVO WAS FOUND TO BE SLIGHTLY BENT, THIS THEY SAID WOULD CAUSE THE SERVO TO RUN RICH IF IT WAS BENT BAD ENOUGH. THE BEND ON THE LEVER WAS NOT VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE. DURING THE VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE SERVO THE AIR CHAMBER WAS DRY. THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE CHAMBER INDICATING THAT THE BEND ON THE LEVER WAS NOT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN RICH.NOTE: MAR. 15, 2011, A (WITNESS) MECHANIC, AT THE BROWNSVILLE AIRPORT SAID THAT ON FRIDAY MARCH 11, AS N30136 WAS TAXIING BY, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE SAID THAT THE PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINE WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. APR. 13, 2011, WE CALLED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ASKED HIM ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ONBOARD FIRE PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE GROUND. HIS ANSWER WAS THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE ONBOARD.APR. 28, 2011, CAUSE OF ACCIDENT IS INCONCLUSIVE AT THIS POINT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN11FA228Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportBrownsville, TXThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.Mar 12, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N30136 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19970712018149ADescent · Springfield, ILAircraft was performing airshow routine, hit the ground while completing a half cuban eight maneuver. (.4)the pilot said that he was performing an airshow routine with another airplane. He had just come across the top of a '1/2 cuban eight' maneuver, and…Jul 12, 1997 · Substantial damageAccident 19821003050259ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Albuquerque, NMMade several go-arounds due to a locked right brake. Cut brake line. Still locked. Nosed over landing off runway.Oct 3, 1982 · Substantial damage