Waco UPF-7 N30140
3 February 2007 · Palos Verdes, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 3 February 2007 at about 23:00 local time, a Waco UPF-7 registered N30140 was involved in an accident near Palos Verdes, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Palos Verdes, California, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Waco UPF-7
- Registration
- N30140
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Torrance → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX07LA079
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
the failure of both pilots to maintain adequate visual lookout and clearance from each other while maneuvering in close proximity.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
N30140 and a PT-17 departed the local airport to the south and established radio communication with each other. For approximately 15 minutes, the two airplanes flew independently of each other. During that time, the pilot of N30140 heard over the radio frequency two other pilots that were operating in the area, and the pilot did not see either of the two aircraft. One of those two aircraft was N49270. N30140 and the other PT-17 had then decided to return to the airport. N30140 began to regroup with the PT-17 at an altitude of 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). Approximately 1,000 feet from the PT-17, the pilot of N30140 felt "a hard impact on my aircraft." The airplane rolled more than 90 degrees to the right in a steep descent. The pilot thought another aircraft struck his; however, he did not see another aircraft. The pilot regained partial control of the airplane and executed a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane stalled approximately 35 feet above the terrain, impacted the terrain, and nosed over. N49270 also departed the same local airport to the south and climbed to 3,000 feet msl. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, he observed N30140 and another PT-17 coming toward him, and they were not in formation. The two airplanes were flying northwest (N49270 was flying south) and N30140 was a "few hundred feet lower." N49270 and the other PT-17 confirmed visual contact with each other over the radio. N49270 and the other PT-17 intended on joining in formation. With about 1/2 mile separation between the two PT-17s, N30140 crossed under N49270. N49270 then joined up with the other PT-17 and "stabilized on [other PT-17] left wing in the step-up position and headed easterly." Approximately 1 minute later, the pilot of N49270 felt a bump and noticed N30140 was slightly to the left and below his airplane. The pilot of N49270 realized that his propeller contacted the tail section of N30140. N49270 landed uneventfully at the airport.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waco UPF-7 | N30140 | - | Substantial |
| Boeing A75N1(PT17) | N49270 | - | Minor |
Other Waco UPF-7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jun 2007 | Waco UPF-7 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Sierra Biplane Adventures LLC | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2005 | Waco UPF-7 | Moose Jaw, Canada | Jimmy Marshall Franklin | Fatal | 2 |
| 4 Jul 2009 | Waco UPF-7 | Manteo, North Carolina, United States | OBX Air Tours | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 2011 | Waco UPF-7 | Brownsville, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2002 | Waco UPF-7 | Dayton, Ohio, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2012 | Waco UPF-7 | Jim Falls, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 2007 | Piper PA-28-180 | Rosamond, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2007 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2C | Bridgeport, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 May 2007 | Schweizer SGS2-33A | Los Alamitos, California, United States | Civil Air Patrol - California Wing | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 2007 | Westland WASP HAS MK1 | Ramona, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2007 | Cessna 152 | Tracy, California, United States | California Airways | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 May 2007 | Skygear SKYGEAR | Chino, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |