Summary
On March 11, 2013, a Waco UPF-7 (N29969) was involved in an accident near Paso Robles, CA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll.
The pilot stated that he was performing touch-and-go landings in light and variable wind at 5 knots. During a landing roll, with the tail wheel on the runway, a puff of wind from the east caused the tail to swing around. The pilot added power in an attempt to regain directional control, when the right wing touched the runway and the airplane impacted a taxiway intersection sign. The airplane's wing spars were structurally damaged and the upper right wing tip was crushed. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR13CA146. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N29969.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was performing touch-and-go landings in light and variable wind at 5 knots. During a landing roll, with the tail wheel on the runway, a puff of wind from the east caused the tail to swing around. The pilot added power in an attempt to regain directional control, when the right wing touched the runway and the airplane impacted a taxiway intersection sign. The airplane's wing spars were structurally damaged and the upper right wing tip was crushed. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR13CA146