- Date
- June 19, 2007, 11:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N32035Waco UPF-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070619011209A
- Case key
- 66078
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.
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 the landing roll, and sustained damage to the lower right wing. The pilot departed for a 15-minute sightseeing ride with one passenger. Upon landing on runway 34R, he did a wheel landing at 45 mph, and then lowered the tail wheel at 5 mph. The airplane violently veered left. He applied full right rudder, but the airplane did not respond. He realized that the airplane was out of control, and applied both brakes to stop the airplane's rotation. The airplane ended up 270 degrees to the runway heading. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
On June 19, 2007, about 1120 Pacific daylight time, a Waco UPF-7, N32035, ground looped during landing at Reno, Nevada. Sierra Biplane Adventures LLC was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local revenue sightseeing flight departed Reno about 1100. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot submitted a written report. He stated that he departed for a 15-minute ride with one passenger. Upon landing on runway 34R, he did a wheel landing at 45 mph, and then lowered the tail wheel at 5 mph. The airplane violently veered left. He applied full right rudder, but the airplane did not respond. He realized that the airplane was out of control, and applied both brakes to stop the airplane's rotation. The airplane ended up 270 degrees to the runway heading with the engine not running. He restarted the engine, and taxied to the ramp. The airplane sustained damage to the right lower wing front and rear spars.
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32035
- Reported as
- Waco UPF-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5666
- Engine
- Continental W-670-GA, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Sierra Biplane Adventures LLC
- Registered owner
- Randel R. McLain
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Airport
- KRNO · Reno, runway 34R, 9,000 × 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 3,869 total · 97 in this make and model · 147 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KRNO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.