Waco YPF-7 accident near Houston, Texas, March 27, 2010
On March 27, 2010 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Waco YPF-7, registered N32077, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Houston, Texas (Houston Southwest Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain control during landing due to the failure of the tailwheel locking mechanism to remain engaged prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2010 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Houston Southwest Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YPF-7
- Registration
- N32077 · registry record · serial 5709
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he locked the tailwheel on his single-engine airplane prior to departure. After takeoff, he stayed in the traffic pattern and landed. However, during the landing rollout the airplane ground-looped and the airplane's lower right wing contacted the ground, breaking the wood spar. The pilot stated that postaccident examination of the airplane indicated that either hardened grease and dirt buildup may have prevented the tailwheel locking mechanism from fully engaging or that the mechanism may have been inadvertently bumped in flight.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,566 hours in all; 21 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs L4 /R755-7 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Memorial Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: AXH Houston TX
- Destination: AXH Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.