Amateur-built WACO 10 GXE accident near Rochester, New Hampshire, August 24, 1994
On August 24, 1994 at about 6:41 pm local time, a amateur-built WACO 10 GXE, registered NC5852, was destroyed in an accident near Rochester, New Hampshire (Sky Haven airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Related factors were unsuitable terrain (trees) and the inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1994 · about 6:41 pm local time
- Place
- Rochester, New Hampshire · Sky Haven
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WACO 10 GXE WACO 10 GX
- Registration
- NC5852 · no longer on the register · serial 1586
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOTS REPORTED THAT AT ABOUT 300 TO 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. WHILE MANEUVERING BACK TO THE RUNWAY OVER A WOODED AREA, THE AIRPLANE WAS INADVERTENTLY STALLED. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. THE PILOT/OWNER STATED HE HAD INSTALLED A NEW PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WHICH HE BELIEVED MIGHT HAVE ALTERED THE AIRPLANE'S CLIMB PERFORMANCE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,100 hours in all; 21 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 4,400 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 604 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 1994; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,210 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Milwaukee Prt 73 V502 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from PSM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.