Waco SRE accident near Lafayette, Louisiana, November 4, 2012
On November 4, 2012 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Waco SRE, registered NC247E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lafayette, Louisiana (Lafeyette Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 directional control of the airplane during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2012 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Louisiana · Lafeyette Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco SRE · all SREs on the register
- Registration
- NC247E · no longer on the register · serial 5081
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he made an uneventful landing in calm wind; however, during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right. He applied left rudder and a little engine power in an unsuccessful attempt to correct the airplane heading. The airplane then nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear collapsed. Subsequent metallurgical examination of the failed landing gear components revealed features consistent with overstress separations, which likely occurred during the accident sequence, with no indication of significant preexisting corrosion or cracking. Postaccident examination did not reveal any preimpact failure or malfunction with either the landing gear or brakes that would have resulted in the loss of directional control.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,615 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,813 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2012; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lafayette LA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: Lafayette LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04R, 7,651 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LFT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.