# Incident 20180616015549I: Waco UPF-7, St Simons Islan, GA, June 16, 2018 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 16, 2018, 12:45 local time - Place: St Simons Islan, GA - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Taxi - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 31.1505° N, 81.3695° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Saint Simons Island, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1505&lon=-81.3695&mi=10 - Aircraft: N134Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N134Q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Waco UPF-7 (registry code 9601302, https://openairdocs.org/model/waco-upf-7) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental W670 series (registry code 17018, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-w670-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: WACO UPF-7 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR W670 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 7,866 total, 800 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180616015549I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 16, 2018 AT 11:00 A.M., THE PILOT OF N134Q WAS TAXING HIS 1940 WACO UPF-7 THROUGH THE PARKING RAMP AT (KSSI) MCKINNON AIRPORT ON ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA WHEN HE STRUCK N294PJ, A 2010 ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER THAT WAS IN TOW BY TWO GROUND PERSONNEL WITH NO INTENT FOR FLIGHT. N134Q WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AS A COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR OPERATOR WITH A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION ISSUED TO CLASSIC AIR VENTURES (C2VJS035) BY THE TAMP FSDO. THE AIRCRAFT (N134Q) SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES AS THE HELICOPTER (N294PJ) SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES. ON JUNE 16, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 P.M., AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO ARRIVED ON SCENE TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE GROUND INCIDENT. ON ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SECURED BY THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND AIRPORT AUTHORITIES. AN EXAMINATION OF BOTH AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT N134Q SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AS IT COMPLETELY CUT THROUGH THE FLIGHT DECK OF N294PJ CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NTSB WAS CONTACTED CONCERNING THE SITUATION, AND INFORMED THE ON DUTY FAA INSPECTOR THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT THAT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF THE DAMAGE AND NO INTENT FOR FLIGHT EXISTED. THE PILOT OF N134Q WAS INTERVIEWED AND STATED THAT HE WAS PREPARING HIS AIRCRAFT THAT MORNING TO GO ON A 35-MINUTE SIGHTSEEING TOUR. HE STATED THAT NORMALLY HE WOULD TAXI DIRECTLY OUT OF HIS HANGAR ACROSS THE TIE DOWN AREAS TO RUNWAY 34 IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CIVILIAN AND MILITARY HELICOPTERS THAT PARKED AT THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE RAMP. HOWEVER, ON THIS PARTICULAR MORNING, THERE WAS A HIGH VOLUME OF AIRCRAFT PARKED IN THE TIE DOWN AREAS, WHICH FORCED HIM TO TAKE AN ALTERNATE PATH DOWN THE RAMP TO RUNWAY 34. AS HE BEGAN TO TAXI, HE STATED THAT HE PERFORMED HIS USUAL ?S? TURNS BECAUSE HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY IS LIMITED IN A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT ESPECIALLY SINCE HE WAS SITTING IN THE REAR COCKPIT. AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER AIR TOUR OPERATOR WAS ALSO GETTING READY FOR THEIR DAILY OPERATIONS AS TWO MEN WERE PUSHING A R44 HELICOPTER IN THE SAME DIRECTION THAT HE WAS TAXING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NEVER SAW THE HELICOPTER OR TWO MEN AS HE COLLIDED INTO THEIR HELICOPTER. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH HIS AIRCRAFT THAT CONTRIBUTED. STATEMENTS FROM THE TWO MEN PUSHING THE R44 HELICOPTER AGREED WITH THE STORY OF THE PILOT OF N134Q AS THEY FURTHER STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THEM WITH RUNNING ENGINES THEY YELLED AND SCREAMED BUT TO NO PREVAIL DUE TO LOUD EXPOSED RADIAL ENGINE OF A 1940 WACO UPF-7 AIRCRAFT. A REVIEW OF ALL MAINTENANCE AND PILOT RECORDS WAS CONDUCTED, AND IT SHOWED NO PREVIOUS ISSUES OR CONCERNS THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISHAP. AIRCRAFT INSPECTION STATUS: 1. AIRCRAFT: 1940 WACO, MODEL UPF-7, S/N 5484 2. ENGINE: CONTINENTAL W670-6A, S/N 17283 3. CURRENT REGISTRATION: DOI 12/19/2016 4. STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE: DOI 07/03/1957 5. ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE ON 4/25/2018 AT 10351 TT. PILOT IN COMMAND: 1. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ 2. AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT 3. CURRENT SECOND CLASS MEDICAL: 09/26/2017 4. NO PREVIOUS EIS RECORDS REPORTED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: 1. ACTUAL WEATHER: VMC 2. RUNWAY CONDITIONS: DRY 3. PRECIPITATION: NONE 4. WINDS @10 KNOT ## Other reports on N134Q (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20170703008839A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170703008839A), Jul 3, 2017: Waco UPF-7 (N134Q), St. Simons, GA, Substantial damage. On July 3rd at approximately 4:30PM EST. Pilot was taxing to runway 35 at St. Simons airport (kssi), with passengers on board for a sight seeing flight in Waco… - [Accident 19950817028609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950817028609A), Aug 17, 1995: Waco UPF7 (N134Q), Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. Engine quit on downwind. Unable make airport. Landed tundra. Nosed up. Found engine primer unlocked. Rich mixture. - [Accident 19940426009299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940426009299A), Apr 26, 1994: Waco UPF7 (N134Q), Lander, WY, Substantial damage. Encountered IMC following a road. Whiteout conditions in heavy snow. Descended, reduced speed. Impact in open field 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.