Waco UPF-7 accident near Popular Grove, Illinois, July 4, 1982
On July 4, 1982 at about 1:00 am local time, a Waco UPF-7, registered N39714, was substantially damaged in an accident near Popular Grove, Illinois. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1982 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Popular Grove, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco UPF-7 · all UPF-7s on the register
- Registration
- N39714 · registry record · serial 5847
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATION DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD. BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF THE FIELD THE PILOT LANDED HARD AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE SEPARATED GEAR STRUCK AND FRACTURED THE LEFT WING SPAR. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ENGINE VIBRATION WAS INDUCED BY THE SEPARATION OF SIX INCHES OF THE BLADE TIP OF THE ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTED CURTIS-REED PROPELLER.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 774 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 703 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,518 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-6706A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Belvidere IL at 7:40 pm
- Destination: Belvidere IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 172°F (78°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from RFD, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N39714 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.