- Date
- November 2, 1993, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N369DPWaco YMF-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931102042079A
- Case key
- 9426
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions while landing in a gusty crosswind. Factors associated with the accident are the gusty crosswind and the pilot's lack of experience in this type airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was landing in a gusty crosswind when a gust of wind lifted the left wing. He said he was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane subsequently ground looped and nosed over. The pilot reported a total of 5.8 hours of flight experience in this type airplane at the time the accident occurred.
Factual narrative
On November 2, 1993, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Waco YMF-5 airplane, N369DP, ground looped and came to rest inverted during landing at Valparaiso, Indiana. The private pilot reported no injury. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the field. The ferry flight originated in Lansing, Michigan about 1200 without a flight plan and operated under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot states that prior to entering the traffic pattern to land, he overflew the airport to check the wind sock for wind direction and velocity. He was not able to receive advisories from the airport unicom. The pilot approximated the direction of the wind to be from 190 degrees and the velocity 15 to 20 knots. He elected to land on runway 27. During the landing roll, the pilot states he experienced a strong gust which exceeded the control authority of the airplane. The left wing rose, the nose swung left, and the right lower wing tip struck the runway. The airplane then ground looped onto its back.
The pilot reported 5.8 hours flight experience in this type airplane at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N369DP
- Reported as
- Waco YMF-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F5-007
- Airframe hours
- 330
- Engine
- Jacobs R755B2M1, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary L. Petersen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Provisional (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1993 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- LAN · Lansing, MI
- Destination
- CEK · Crete, NE
- Airport
- VPZ · Porter County Airport, runway 27, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 937 total · 6 in this make and model · 842 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VPZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N369DP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.