Waco UKC-S accident near Seattle, Washington, June 14, 2010
On June 14, 2010 at about 1:35 am local time, a Waco UKC-S, registered N14611, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Seattle, Washington (Boeing Field). 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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition, resulting in a loss of directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2010 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Boeing Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco UKC-S
- Registration
- N14611 · registry record · serial 3978
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that prior to entering the traffic pattern in a tail-wheel equipped airplane for landing on runway 31L, the airport’s automatic terminal information service (ATIS) indicated that the wind was from 040 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot said the maximum crosswind component for the airplane is 15 knots and that he has previously landed this airplane in similar crosswind conditions. Throughout the traffic pattern the pilot requested the wind direction and speed from the controller and on short final, the wind was reported from 030 degrees at 11 knots. The landing was uneventful; however, during the landing roll, a gust of wind lifted the right wing and despite the pilot’s control inputs, the left wing scraped the ground as the airplane turned to the right. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid and came to a rest perpendicular to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The weather reporting station located at the accident airport reported the wind at the time of the accident was from 030 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 17 knots. In a written statement, the pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by landing at a nearby airport until conditions improved.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,482 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 6,482 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 21, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,005 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2010; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor W670 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA96 Bremerton WA at 1:00 am
- Destination: KBFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31L, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 8:26 am from BFI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 WPR10CA290.