N14137Waco YKC · 1934

On June 30, 2024, about 1752 CDT, a Waco YKC airplane, N14137, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Selden, Kansas. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The airplane departed about 0640 eastern daylight time from Knox County Airport (4I3) in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Two fuel stops were conducted enroute: the Shelby County Airport in Shelbyville, Illinois, about 0840 CDT, and the Chillicothe Municipal Airport (CHT) in Chillicothe, Missouri, about 1135. While in Shelbyville, the passenger sent the first of several text messages to the Oberlin Municipal Airport (OIN), Oberlin, Kansas, airport manager stating that OIN was their planned destination for the day.

About 1348, shortly after departing from CHT, the passenger sent a text message to the OIN airport manager stating that they were unsure if they would make OIN but estimated their time of arrival about 1700. Another message was sent at 1601 stating that the weather was looking too low at OIN and they were landing in Phillipsburg, Kansas.

The airplane diverted and landed at Phillipsburg Municipal Airport (PHG) in Phillipsburg, Kansas, at 1615. While on the ground, the pilot made several telephone calls to both the OIN airport manager and a family friend in Colby, Kansas, to inquire about the weather enroute and possible alternate destinations. The OIN airport manager informed the pilot that the ceiling and visibility were low at OIN, and he did not know when the weather would improve. The family friend in Colby reported that he assumed the pilot and passenger would overnight in Colby based on the telephone conversion he had with the pilot.

The airplane departed PHG about 1710 for the Shalz Field Airport (CBK) in Colby, Kansas. Six minutes after departure from PHG, the passenger sent a final text message to the OIN airport manager stating that they were “going to try and go south to get out of this stuff.”

ATC radar data beginning at 1746:09 showed the airplane made several climbing turns starting at an altitude of 3,025 ft msl to a maximum altitude of 4,625 ft msl over the accident site. The data then showed the airplane began a descending right bank before data ended at 1748:54. The airplane was on a heading of 075°, at 109 kts groundspeed and an altitude of 3,800 ft msl, which was about 1,050 ft agl (see figure 1).

The engine monitor recorded a fuel flow increase from a steady average of 10 gph to 15 gph, with a final increase to 22 gph before the data ended. This increase started about three minutes before the end of the data.

Figure 1. ATC radar data flight track.

The pilot held airline transport, commercial, flight engineer, and flight instructor certificates and was rated for instrument flight in airplanes, single- and multi-engine land and gliders. He had no current FAA medical certificate. His last FAA medical examination was October 13, 2022. No evidence of the pilot’s instrument currency could be found in the pilot logbooks.

The airplane was restored to flying condition on June 17, 2013, by the pilot and passenger. During the restoration, the airplane was brought as close as possible to the 1934 factory original design and equipment with the current required VFR flight instruments, as well as a turn indicator and a vertical speed indicator. The airplane was not certified for IFR flight.

Multiple residents reported dense fog in the accident area about the time of the accident. A drilling rig crew, located about a half mile from the accident site, reported they were unaware of the accident due to the dense fog, which made them unable to see the top of their derrick. The Oberlin airport manager was also a few miles away in Selden, Kansas, and he reported that he was unable to see the top of the grain silos in town due to fog.

Leidos Flight Service reported that the pilot did not receive a weather briefing through their service. Family friends stated that the pilot and passenger used ForeFlight for preflight and enroute flight information services-broadcast (FIS-B) weather. However, ForeFlight was unable to locate an account for either the pilot or passenger, and copies of any preflight weather briefings were not available to investigators. An exemplary weather briefing was created to review what would have been available to the pilot.

Additionally, a weather study was conducted using archived weather imagery and data for the accident site and surrounding region.

Both the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16 1751:18 CDT observation and the Aviation Weather Center Graphical Forecast 1800 CDT observation derived computer model depicted low clouds with predicted LIFR conditions over the surrounding area at the time of the accident (see figure 2). The area around the accident site was dominated by low clouds with clearing throughout the time of the flight in all directions except north. Middle to high clouds were seen west of the accident site with clearing over the destination airport.

Figures 2 and 3. Cloud and Predicted Flight Category (top) and Visible Satellite Imagery (bottom). (Source: National Weather Service)

An HRRR numerical model sounding over the accident site and other GFA products depicted MVFR clouds and a high probability of reduced visibility at the time of the accident. The sounding estimated the cloud tops for the low clouds observed by satellite at about 6,500 ft msl.

The GFA 1900 CDT forecasts available on ForeFlight were the Aviation Cloud and Surface Forecast. The Aviation Cloud forecast depicted cloud conditions over the route of flight varying between scattered at 6,000 ft msl to overcast at 4,000 ft msl, while the Aviation Surface Forecast depicted more than 5 statute miles of visibility and thunderstorms (see figure 3). Neither forecast showed IFR conditions over the route of flight.

Figure 3. Aviation Clouds Forecast (Top) and Surface Forecast (Bottom).

The closest official weather station surface observation to the accident site was Oberlin, Kansas, about 21 miles north, which had an automatic weather observation system. Its precipitation discriminator was out of service, resulting in the system being unable to report precipitation type at the time of the accident. Oberlin reported LIFR conditions due to overcast clouds at 300 ft agl with a temperature and dew point of 17°C, with 100% relative humidity.

The weather station surface observation at the diverted destination airport of Colby, Kansas, reported MVFR conditions due to overcast clouds at 2,500 ft agl and 10 statute miles of visibility. Clearing was observed over the destination airport on satellite imagery during the accident flight.

Numerous private weather stations were around the accident site and along the route of flight. Stations that recorded temperature, dewpoint, and solar radiation were reviewed to analyze the sky conditions along the presumed route of flight due to a lack of official weather observation stations. About 1749, the station nearest to the accident site, in Hoxie, Kansas, about 7 nautical miles southwest, recorded a temperature of 63.2° F, a dewpoint of 62.9° F, and solar radiation of 88.1 watts/m2. Another station about 9 nautical miles west, in Selden, Kansas, recorded a temperature of 63.0° F, dewpoint of 61.5° F, and solar radiation of 69.8 watts/m2. Along the route of flight in Hill City, Kansas, about 30 nautical miles east-southeast, a station recorded an increase in solar radiation during the flight time from 178.6 watts/m2 about 1709 CDT to 443.4 watts/m2 about 1749 CDT. The calculated full sun solar radiation for western Kansas on June 30, 2024, was about 605 watts/m2 about 1750 CDT and 1,100 watts/m2 at solar noon.

There were no terminal area forecasts along the route of flight available to the pilot. Additionally, at about 1545, a Graphical-Airmen’s Meteorological Information was issued for IFR conditions and mist for a region that included the accident location. It was valid at 1600 and expired before the time of the accident.

The weather product that depicted IFR to LIFR conditions was the GFA Cloud & Visibility chart. The 1700 CDT forecast showed ceilings of 1,000 ft agl to less than 500 ft agl around the accident site (see figure 4). However, this product was not available via ForeFlight.

Figure 4. 1700 CDT GFA Ceiling & Visibility Forecast with ceilings depicted.

The airplane was restored to flying condition on June 17, 2013, by the pilot and passenger. During the restoration, the airplane was brought as close as possible to the 1934 factory original design and equipment with the current required VFR flight instruments, as well as a turn indicator and a vertical speed indicator. The airplane was not certified for IFR flight.

The accident site was in a relatively flat agricultural field about 0.10 nautical miles southeast of the last received ATC radar position. Impact marks and debris were consistent with the airplane impacting the terrain at a 90° right bank and about 40° nose-down attitude on a heading of 183°.

The impact site consisted of two parallel ground scars 5 ft apart and 19 ft in length that continued to a ground depression containing engine debris and the lower forward fuselage. Propeller ground strike witness marks were observed about 5 ft from the first impact point. The start of the impact ground scars contained the wing tip bows from both right wings in a vertical orientation buried in the ground. The navigation light from the upper right wing tip was found next to the buried upper bow.

The main debris field was separated from the impact point on a heading of about 228°consistent with a right turn and was 526 ft in length and 67 ft in width with burned vegetation and wreckage from a postaccident fire (see figure 5).

Figure 5. Accident debris field extends off picture to the upper right. (Source: Aerial photograph from the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office)

Flight control continuity from the airplane flight control surfaces to the cockpit controls was confirmed for the rudder, elevator, and elevator trim. Aileron flight control continuity could not be established beyond the control yoke due to impact damage to both lower wings; however, the slave bar between the lower and upper ailerons was still attached to both lower ailerons. Both upper ailerons exhibited separation of the bar from the control surface consistent with overload failure.

The propeller, forward crankshaft, and two cylinders were in the ground depression at the impact site. The rest of the radial engine was fragmented and scattered throughout the debris field. Detailed examination of the engine could not be performed due to impact damage. Both magnetos and the ignition harness were found but could not be functionally tested due to impact damage. The engine-driven and electric boost fuel pumps were found and both motors rotated freely when moved by hand. The fuel flow divider for the fuel injection system was not found.

The propeller was found still attached to the forward crankshaft with the No. 2 blade separated. The No. 1 blade was still attached to the hub and had aft and rotational bending and rotational scraping on the face and back side consistent with ground impact. The No. 2 blade was separated from the hub with the blade root buried in the ground depression. The blade had s-bending with aft lengthwise curling of the tip. The blade also had numerous gouges and scraping consistent with engine rotation at ground impact.

The flight instruments could not be tested due to impact damage.

The master and avionics switches were found in the On position, and the magneto switch was found in the Both position. One cockpit fuel selector was found separated and in the On position. However, identification to its respective wing fuel tank could not be established due to impact damage. The elevator trim control handle was found in about the 10° nose-down position.

The circuit boards of a JPI EDM-700/800, Garmin GPSMAP 496, and Appareo Stratus 3 were recovered and retained for further examination. The Garmin GPSMAP 496 was missing the memory chip, which prevented any data extraction. The JPI 700/800 engine data were successfully downloaded but were found to be configured incorrectly for date and time, and the data could not be correlated to the accident flight times. Data from the Appareo Stratus 3 were successfully downloaded but did not contain any data related to the accident flight. Previous flights from the same day were present.

CommonSpirit Laboratory Services in Garden City, Kansas, performed an autopsy on the pilot’s remains. The autopsy report listed the cause of death as “massive blunt force impact.” Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory found no drugs of abuse.

The ForeFlight application was used to create a weather briefing for the accident airplane in an area of known weather. That weather briefing was then used as a template to compare the data that would have been available to the pilot to weather products available during the accident flight.