Classic WACO YMF N43064
2 October 2004 · Sedona, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 October 2004 at about 17:25 local time, a Classic WACO YMF registered N43064, operated by Solid Edge Aviation dba Red Rock Biplane Tours, was involved in an accident near Sedona, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. 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 17:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sedona, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.8522, -111.7956
- Aircraft
- Classic WACO YMF
- Registration
- N43064
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Solid Edge Aviation dba Red Rock Biplane Tours
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sedona → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX05LA002
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
a loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the number 7 cylinder exhaust rocker arm as a result of a grinding operation during manufacture.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The engine lost partial power during flight, and the airplane collided with a vehicle during a forced landing on a road. The pilot was performing a local for hire sightseeing flight for two passengers. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, a loud "popping" noise was heard coming from the engine. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and force landed on a city street. During the landing roll, the right wing impacted a car on the road. Post accident examination of the engine revealed that the number 7 cylinder exhaust valve rocker arm had failed in fatigue. The surface fracture initiation marks were consistent with a grinding operation during manufacture. The grinding operation is performed to remove any flash remaining at the mold parting line, after the casting operation, and is normally carried out by holding the part by hand and guiding it on a large grinding wheel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Classic WACO accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec 2004 | Classic WACO YMF | Santa Barbara, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2004 | Classic WACO YMF | Bar Harbor, Maine, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 May 2005 | Classic WACO YMF-5 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Santa Barbara Biplane Tours | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 May 2006 | Classic WACO YMF | Hagerstown, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 2001 | Classic WACO YMF | Banning, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Nov 2009 | Classic WACO YMF | Dunnellon, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Dec 2004 | Cessna 150J | Amado, Arizona, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 May 2004 | Piper PA-28-161 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | IATA Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Dec 2004 | Cessna T310R | Flagstaff, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 May 2004 | Cessna 180 | Kingman, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 May 2004 | Cessna T182T | Paulden, Arizona, United States | Timothy J. Coury | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 2004 | Bachman LANCAIR IV-P | Supai, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |