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GAA15CA001

2015-03-06 · Rio Vista, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport O88

Current FAA registration · N32063

Make / Model
WACO UPF-7
Engine
CONT MOTOR R670-SERIES (225 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19570712
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A37196

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that the airplane touched down uneventfully. During the landing roll a gust of wind picked up the right wing, the pilot applied right aileron and right rudder correction to regain control, but was unable to do so. The pilot lost directional control and advanced the throttle to the full position in an attempt to execute a go-around, subsequently the left wing came in contact with the ground and ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to both of the left wings and left lift struts. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that the airplane touched down uneventfully. During the landing roll a gust of wind picked up the right wing, the pilot applied right aileron and right rudder correction to regain control, but was unable to do so. The pilot lost directional control and advanced the throttle to the full position in an attempt to execute a go-around, subsequently the left wing came in contact with the ground and ground looped, which resulted in substantial damage to both of the left wings and left lift struts. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA001.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (go-around). All research papers