Waco UPF-7 accident at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 24 Nov 1943

Accident narrative

On November 24, 1943, a Waco UPF-7 crashed approximately 12 miles south-southeast of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, fatally injuring the pilot. The aircraft, owned by the Defense Plant Corporation and operated by Aircraft Services Consolidated, was demolished.

The pilot, a War Training Service Navy trainee with 9 solo hours in the aircraft type, departed Bloomsburg Airport in the afternoon for a local practice flight. About 30 minutes later, witnesses observed the aircraft flying at an estimated altitude of 150 to 300 feet. The airplane descended with reduced power, made a 180-degree turn at low altitude, and headed west about 60 feet above the ground. While proceeding west, the airplane struck a tree, severing the left wing tips, and crashed inverted approximately 300 feet beyond.

Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure. Twisted metal propeller blades indicated the engine was developing power at the time of impact. Witnesses agreed the engine sounded louder just as the plane struck the tree, and the nearest witness stated the aircraft was pulled up just before impact. The Civil Aeronautics Board considered it quite probable that the pilot was somewhat blinded by the late afternoon sun and did not see the tree until he was almost upon it, though the Board noted there was no justification for flying so low.

The Board determined the probable cause was the pilot's "lack of vigilance and failure to observe and avoid an obstruction in his flight path while flying at a dangerously low altitude."