WACO QCF-2

Bend, OR — September 14, 2009

Event Information

DateSeptember 14, 2009
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberWPR09LA475
Event ID20091006X62448
LocationBend, OR
CountryUSA
Coordinates44.09444, -121.20000
AirportBend Municipal Airport
Highest InjuryNONE

Aircraft

MakeWACO
ModelQCF-2
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDAYL
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
None1
Total Injured0

Event Location

Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.

Full Narrative

On September 14, 2009, at 0900 Pacific daylight time, a Waco QCF-2, N11241, ground looped after landing on runway 16 at the Bend Municipal Airport (BDN), Bend, Oregon. Woods Brothers Aviation, Inc., operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a cross-country flight. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained structural damage to the lower left wing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Ken Jernstedt Airfield (4S2), Hood River, Oregon, about 0730. No flight plan had been filed.

The pilot was ferrying the airplane for the owners, and Bend was a planned fuel stop. The airplane’s ultimate destination was Prescott, Arizona.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that he had 1.5 hours in this make and model of airplane. The pilot reported that a gust of wind made the tail yaw to the left as the airplane settled on the runway. The pilot instinctively applied left rudder and toe brake to stop the yaw. However, the brake control for this airplane was unique in that it was a function of the throttle handle, not the rudder pedals. The airplane veered off the runway surface, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing contacted the ground, and sustained spar damage.

There was no report of a mechanical failure or malfunction with the airplane at the time of the accident.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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