Waco UPF-7 accident near Orange, Massachusetts, June 23, 1984
On June 23, 1984 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Waco UPF-7, registered N32127, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orange, Massachusetts (Orange Muni 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 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
- June 23, 1984 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orange, Massachusetts · Orange Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco UPF-7 · all UPF-7s on the register
- Registration
- N32127 · registry record · serial 5759
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS GIVING LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHTS.HE INDICATED THAT A 'WIDE' GENTLEMAN AND A 'MODERATE' SIZE GENTLEMAN BOARDED THE ACFT. THE PLT MOVED THE THROTTLE TO ENSURE CLEARANCE BUT FOUND ONE OF THE PAX RESTRICTED THE MOVEMENT SLIGHTLY. THE PAX WAS REPOSITION AND THE PLT INITIATED THE FLIGHT. THE ACFT WOULD NOT ATTAIN FULL POWER AND THE PLT COULD NOT MOVE THE THROTTLE THRU ITS FULL RANGE OF TRAVEL. THE GRASS STRIP USED FOR TAKEOFF WAS ROUGH AND THE ACFT LIFTED OF PREMATURELY. THE PLT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND DURING THE GROUND ROLL HE USED THE BRAKES TO CONTROL THE ACFT ATTITUDE. THE ACFT ROLLED OVER A SLIGHT BUMP AND THE TAIL LIFTED CAUSING THE PLT TO SHIFT FORWARD ONTO THE BRAKES, WHICH AGGREVATED THE TAIL-HIGH ATTITUDE. THE ACFT NOSED OVER.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,064 hours in all; 264 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3,585 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1984; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.