Waco GXE accident near Paducah, Kentucky, June 11, 2005
On June 11, 2005 at about 3:24 pm local time, a Waco GXE, registered N903H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paducah, Kentucky (Barkley Regional Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing resulting in a ground loop and impact with the runway. A factor in the accident was the limited authority of the tailwheel steering system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2005 · about 3:24 pm local time
- Place
- Paducah, Kentucky · Barkley Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco GXE · all GXEs on the register
- Registration
- N903H · registry record · serial 2037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After purchasing a tailwheel equipped antique biplane, the pilot departed on the first leg of a cross-country flight to his home airport. While attempting to land at an airport for a rest stop, the pilot executed a low power, steep approach to the asphalt runway. During the flare for landing, the airplane touched down early, skipped, became airborne, and touched down a second time. The airplane then swerved to the right, and ground looped, substantially damaging the airplane. Examination of the landing gear revealed that the main landing gear wheels were "toed out" approximately 2-degrees. The tailwheel steering springs that connected the rudder to the tailwheel were "small," and the tailwheel would release to "full swivel" at a steering angle less than that required for full rudder deflection. The pilot believed however; that the airplane could have been controlled during the landing if differential braking was used to correct a significant swerve. He also stated that, had he discovered that the tailwheel would "release steering," he would have had another tailwheel installed before flying the airplane home.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,390 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,285 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,949 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TN96 Lebanon TN at 1:50 pm
- Destination: PAH Paducah KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:33 pm from PAH
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 N903H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 IAD05LA074.