Waco YKS 7 accident near Fairhope, Alabama, June 8, 2018
On June 8, 2018 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1937 Waco YKS 7, registered N17473, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fairhope, Alabama (H L Sonny Callahan airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2018 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fairhope, Alabama · H L Sonny Callahan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YKS 7 NO SERIES, built 1937 · all YKS 7s on the register
- Registration
- N17473 · registry record · serial 4611
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that, while landing with a "slight cross wind," the biplane ground looped to the right. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot landed on runway 19.
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
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 4.6 in the last 90 days; 4.6 in the last 30 days; 931 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 16, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,483 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,250 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755B2M (piston); 2,063 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CQF Fairhope AL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: CQF Fairhope AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,604 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KCQF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.