- Date
- April 4, 2003, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Allentown, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N15244Waco YOC
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030404017449A
- Case key
- 56751
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 while landing which resulted in a ground loop. A factor in the accident was the crosswind.
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 was landing on runway 6, a 7,600 foot long, 150 foot wide, asphalt runway. He said there was a crosswind from 100 degrees at 20 to 25 knots. After touchdown, a gust of wind caught the right wing and the tail wheeled airplane ground looped, which resulted in damage to the left lower wing. The pilot did not report any mechanical difficulties with the airplane. Winds reported at the airport about 10 minutes before the accident were from 110 degrees at 12 knots
Factual narrative
On April 4, 2003, about 1800 eastern standard time, a Waco YOC, N15244, was substantially damaged during a ground loop while landing at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Salisbury, Maryland, about 1600. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, when he returned to land at ABE, he landed on runway 6, a 7,600 foot long, 150 foot wide, asphalt runway. He said there was a cross wind from 100 degrees at 20 to 25 knots. After touchdown, a gust of wind caught the right wing and the tail wheeled airplane ground looped, which resulted in damage to the left lower wing. The pilot did not report any mechanical difficulties with the airplane. Winds reported at 1751, at Allentown, were from 110 degrees at 12 knots
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15244
- Reported as
- Waco YOC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4327
- Engine
- Jacobs 755B-2, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nancy G. Jaeger
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2002 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- SBY · Salisbury, MD
- Destination
- ABE · Allentown, PA
- Airport
- ABE · Lehigh Valley International, runway 6, 7,600 × 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
- 80
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,317 total · 500 in this make and model · 7,317 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- ABE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.