- Date
- February 24, 2024, 13:52 local (18:52 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N30169Waco UPF-7
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSO
- FAA report
- 20240224020099A
- Case key
- 193865
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 directional control during the landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Findings · 2
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.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped biplane had previously performed three uneventful full stop taxi back landings to runway 34. After takeoff the pilot remained in the airport traffic pattern for the fourth landing with the reported wind from 300° at 18 knots, gusting to 31 knots. While slowing after touchdown the airplane began drifting to the left. He applied corrective control inputs, but the airplane departed the runway and collided with a taxiway sign resulting in substantial damage to the lower left wing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30169
- Reported as
- Waco UPF-7 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5566
- Built
- 1941
- Engine
- Continental W670-6A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 18, 2023 · 5,360 hours before
- Airport
- PDK · Dekalb-Peachtree, runway 34, 3,968 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2024
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,080 total · 158 in this make and model · 866 as pilot in command · 108 in the last 90 days · 72 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 18 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KPDK, 0.17 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPDK 241853Z 30018G31KT 10SM SCT075 17/M02 A2984 RMK AO2 PK WND 28034/1819 SLP104 T01671017=
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 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.