Waco YKS-7 accident near Rialto, California, April 26, 2013
On April 26, 2013 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Waco YKS-7, registered N17472, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Rialto, California (Rialto Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and his improper brake usage during the landing roll in a crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2013 · about 7:20 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Rialto, California · Rialto Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YKS-7 · all YKS-7s on the register
- Registration
- N17472 · registry record · serial 4612
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane swerved during the landing roll in crosswind conditions and that he excessively applied the brakes to correct for that swerve. The airplane subsequently nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the landing gear
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 5,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2012; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-75B-2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Newport/Signal Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: RIR Riverside CA at 6:40 pm
- Destination: L76 Rialto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KSBD, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on June 5, 2013. 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 |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N17472 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Waco YKS-7 21 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Waco 657 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Jacobs R-75B-2 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Flabob Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13CA207.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.