Waco UPF-7 accident near East Canton, Pennsylvania, May 25, 1996
On May 25, 1996 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Waco UPF-7, registered N32091, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Canton, Pennsylvania (Larry Dewert airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent collision with obstacles. The gusty crosswind condition was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1996 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- East Canton, Pennsylvania · Larry Dewert · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco UPF-7 · all UPF-7s on the register
- Registration
- N32091 · registry record · serial 32091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane overran the runway during landing and collided with a fence and a stone pile. The pilot reported 'the approach was normal and I touched down at the intended point and rolled approximately 200 feet to the top of the slope when a gust directly across the runway put me back in the air but 90 degrees to the runway heading. I applied full power to go around, and I found myself wallowing and not really flying very well. Apparently, the wind at that point was on my tail, and with the hard rise in the terrain, I was past the limit of the (airplane). It stalled/mushed back to earth approximately 40 feet from a barbed wire fence, an a stone pile that stopped my forward travel. The craft flipped over, damaging the (propeller),(landing) gear, upper and lower wings and the top of the tail.' The pilot indicated the accident could have been prevented if '...I would have let the aircraft settle back after realignment with the runway, but at the time, I did not know that I had a tailwind...'
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
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,680 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1996; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental R-670 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9N1 Erwinna PA at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 1,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N32091 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.