- Date
- April 4, 2007, 11:17 local (15:17 UTC)
- Place
- Stuart, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N35MMWaco Classic YMF-F5C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 65570
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 takeoff.
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 airplane ground looped during takeoff. The pilot reported that he had been doing full stop landings. On his sixth takeoff the plane veered slightly left due to P-factor. He corrected with right rudder. His rudder application had minimal effect, so he added more right rudder, which caused the plane to ground loop to the right. The ground loop substantially damaged the right wing. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he had been doing full stop landings at Witham Field, Stuart, Florida. On his sixth takeoff the plane veered slightly left due to P-factor. He corrected with right rudder. His rudder application had minimal effect so he added more right rudder, which caused the plane to ground loop to the right. The ground loop substantially damaged the right wing. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35MM
- Reported as
- Waco Classic YMF-F5C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F5C-094
- Engine
- Jacobs R755-BZM, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hugh J. Weidinger
- Registered owner
- G&W Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KSUA · Stuart, FL
- Destination
- KSUA · Stuart, FL
- Airport
- KSUA · Witham Field, runway 30, 5,826 × 100 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 9 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F