- Date
- August 24, 1991, 19:30 local (Aug 25, 1991, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wallace, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N30107Waco UPF-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910824036489A
- Case key
- 27338
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 properly align his airplane with the runway and his failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Contributing factors related to the presence of rough and downhill terrain adjacent to the runway.
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 lost directional control of his airplane as he was beginning the takeoff roll from his privately owned 1200-foot long dirt runway. The pilot reported that this airplane was 'not aligned' with the runway, so he aborted the takeoff. As the airplane was rolling to a stop on the adjacent downhill and rough terrain, it collided with fence posts and a dirt bank whereupon the main gear collapsed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30107
- Reported as
- Waco UPF-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5504
- Engine
- Continental 67A-6A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henry W. Smith
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- NONE · Flying Ranch
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,204 total · 646 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.