Waco UPF-7 accident near Jim Falls, Wisconsin, August 27, 2012
On August 27, 2012 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Waco UPF-7, registered N32011, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Jim Falls, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The blockage of the right fuel tank vent, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2012 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jim Falls, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco UPF-7 · all UPF-7s on the register
- Registration
- N32011 · registry record · serial 5642
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local proficiency flight, throughout which the pilot had the fuel selector set to its “both” position, the airplane’s engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and performed a forced landing, during which the airplane's left landing gear impacted an obstacle and the airplane skidded sideways and nosed over. The pilot stated that initially he did not observe fuel leaking from either fuel tank vent after the accident. However, after he opened and resealed the tank caps, the pilot noticed fuel leaking from the right fuel tank vent, consistent with an existing fuel vent obstruction having been dislodged. Subsequent examination revealed no usable fuel in the left fuel tank and 20 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank. A postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any other anomalies that would have caused a loss of engine power.
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
- Fuel starvation during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,165 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,110 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 18, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,258 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor R-670-6A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3WI9 Chippewa Falls WI at 4:50 pm
- Destination: 3WI9 Chippewa Falls WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from EAU, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN12LA582.