Rare Aircraft WACO T-10 accident near Omaha, Nebraska, August 10, 2002
On August 10, 2002 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Rare Aircraft WACO T-10, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N98TW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Omaha, Nebraska. 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 partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a restricted fuel line, and the unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot. A contributing factor was the bean field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2002 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Omaha, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rare Aircraft WACO T-10, amateur-built
- Registration
- N98TW · registry record · serial 2502
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a bean field after a partial loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot reported he was flying at 2,400 feet mean sea level when the engine began to run sporadically with large fuel pressure fluctuations. Attempts to restore engine power failed and the pilot executed a forced landing. The inspection of the airplane's flight controls and engine controls revealed continuity with no anomalies. The inspection revealed that the engine driven fuel pump, throttle body, fuel nozzles, fuel flow divider, electric fuel pump, and the magnetos were in good operating condition. A fuel sample was tested and it tested in the normal range with no contamination. During the inspection of the fuel system, approximately one and a half gallons were drained from the quick drain at the bottom of the fuselage before the fuel "slowed to a dribble." The inspection revealed that two drilled-out rivet heads were restricting the fuel line between the main fuel tank and the header tank. Approximately 19 gallons of fuel were drained from the main fuel tank. The inspection revealed that the tank did not have a finger screen installed at the outlet port. The two drilled out rivet heads found in the fuel line had not been used in the construction of the fuel tank and were foreign to the fuel system. The engine was removed from the airframe for an engine run. The engine operated normally at idle power and at full power during the engine run.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,107 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLE Omaha NE at 9:30 pm
- Destination: AHQ Wahoo NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.