ERA14CA012

NTSB accident investigation · Classic Waco YMF · Somerville, NJ · October 15, 2013

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 15, 2013, 12:55 local (16:55 UTC)
Place
Somerville, NJ
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N62XXClassic Waco YMF
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 13, 2014
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
FAA report
20131015021959A
Case key
88262

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 failure to maintain aircraft control while applying wheel brakes during landing roll resulting in the airplane nosing over.

Findings · 1

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotClassic WACO YMF: 3 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot stated that she departed from runway 26, and flew over a local golf course, then turned to return to the departure airport where she entered the traffic pattern on the downwind leg for runway 26, flying between 75 and 80 knots. She descended to 800 feet and prior to turning base leg she slowed to between 65 and 70 knots, which she maintained on base and final. She turned onto base leg and descended to 500 feet and at that altitude turned onto final approach for runway 26 slowing at touchdown. She performed a wheel landing a few feet farther along the runway than typical or "a little long" which she described as abeam the western edge of the hangars. The airplane travelled onto a portion of the runway that causes undulations and with aft stick applied after encountering the undulations, she tapped the brakes. The airplane then nosed over. She further reported that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane that caused the nose over, and the area of the runway where the undulations were located also was not the cause of the accident. Various video recordings depicted the approach and nose-over sequence; however, the actual touchdown point was not captured. An individual at the accident airport provided a reference for where the airplane came to rest, which was located before a diagonal line that is visible in a Google Earth image. Plotting on Google Earth of the pilot reported touchdown point indicates that position was located about 800 down the 2,200 foot long grass runway, which has the west 500 feet described as being unsuitable for takeoff or landing due to uneven surface. Therefore, the pilot reported touchdown point occurred nearly halfway down the usable length of runway. Although the exact location where the airplane came to rest was not documented, based on video recording, that was located about 500 feet from the pilot reported touchdown point.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that she departed from runway 26, and flew over a local golf course, then turned to return to the departure airport where she entered the traffic pattern on the downwind leg for runway 26, flying between 75 and 80 knots. She descended to 800 feet and prior to turning base leg she slowed to between 65 and 70 knots, which she maintained on base and final. She turned onto base leg and descended to 500 feet and at that altitude turned onto final approach for runway 26 slowing at touchdown. She performed a wheel landing a few feet farther along the runway than typical or "a little long" which she described as abeam the western edge of the hangars. The airplane travelled onto a portion of the runway that causes undulations and with aft stick applied after encountering the undulations, she tapped the brakes. The airplane then nosed over. She further reported that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane that caused the nose over, and the area of the runway where the undulations were located also was not the cause of the accident. Various video recordings depicted the approach and nose-over sequence; however, the actual touchdown point was not captured. An individual at the accident airport provided a reference for where the airplane came to rest, which was located before a diagonal line that is visible in a Google Earth image. Plotting on Google Earth of the pilot reported touchdown point indicates that position was located about 800 down the 2,200 foot long grass runway, which has the west 500 feet described as being unsuitable for takeoff or landing due to uneven surface. Therefore, the pilot reported touchdown point occurred nearly halfway down the usable length of runway. Although the exact location where the airplane came to rest was not documented, based on video recording, that was located about 500 feet from the pilot reported touchdown point.

Aircraft

Registration
N62XX
Reported as
Classic Waco YMF (NO SERIES)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
F5-027
Built
1989
Airframe hours
583
Engine
Jacobs R755B SERIES, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Singh Meera
Registered owner
Singh Meera
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · March 15, 2013
Departed
SMQ · Somerville, NJ
Destination
SMQ · Somerville, NJ
Airport
SMQ · Somerset Airport, runway 26, 2,200 × 100 ft, grass/turf

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
53
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
August 5, 2013
Seat
Rear
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
1,390 total · 67 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days
Role
Pilot-rated passenger
Age
55
Injuries
None
Certificates
Private, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Front
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
3,100 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 54 °F
Altimeter
30.17 inHg
Observed at
SMQ

Docket · 8

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.