NTSB ERA23LA345 — 2023-08-20 · Warrenton, Virginia, United States

Current FAA registration · N39721

Make / Model: WACO UPF-7
Year of manufacture: 1942 · 81 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR W670 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19470425
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A49F82

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N39721 Waco UPF-7 None

Probable cause & findings

A ground loop during landing resulting from a partial separation of the right main landing gear strut during takeoff.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, after takeoff in the vintage tailwheel-equipped biplane, he was notified via radio that the right main landing gear was partially separated from the airframe. The pilot, returned to the airport and during landing, he continued to fly the airplane down the runway with the right main landing gear in the air until the airplane decelerated and settled onto the turf runway. Once the airplane slowed, it “ground loop[ed]” and came to rest on the nose, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination revealed that the inner strut had separated from the outer strut but remained partially attached. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
— Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Main landing gear-Damaged/degraded

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ERA23LA345.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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