Waco UPF 7 N32162

Summary

On 29 June 2014 at about 18:45 local time, a Waco UPF 7 registered N32162, operated by Corradi John, was involved in an accident near Warrenton, Virginia, United States. One person was 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.

Date

29 June 2014 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Warrenton, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Flying Circus Aerodrome (3VA3)

Coordinates

38.5494, -77.7169

Aircraft

Waco UPF 7

Registration

N32162

Category

Airplane

Year built

1942

Engines

1

Operator

Corradi John

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warrenton → Warrenton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA319

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power during a low pass for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination of the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he fueled the airplane and performed a preflight inspection and engine run-up with no anomalies noted. After takeoff, he performed five circuits in the traffic pattern as part of an airshow, and, during the fifth circuit, he "pushed up the power after the pass"; however, the engine did not respond. Subsequently, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot began to turn back toward the runway to perform an emergency landing, but he realized that the airplane could not reach the runway. He then verified that the throttle and mixture were "full forward" and conducted a forced landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted trees and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he did not use carburetor heat that day because the temperature was around 83 degrees F. Although the temperature and dew point about the time of the accident were favorable for serious carburetor icing at glide power settings, it could not be determined if carburetor icing contributed to the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.