Single-engine piston

N11481

1931 Waco QCF

Registered 1 NTSB/FAA record
Built
1931
Serial
3561
Class
Single-engine piston
Engines
Continental R670-SERIES
Status
Current as of October 2026
Registered owner
Branin Air Service Inc (Corporation)
Based
Morro Bay, CA
Registration record

N11481 on the FAA register

Type
1931 Waco QCF
Serial
3561
Engines
Continental R670-SERIES
Registered owner
Branin Air Service Inc
Morro Bay, CA
Certificate issued
1985-12-18
Airworthiness date
1998-01-28
Registration expires
2029-04-30
Airworthiness class
Standard · normal
Mode S (hex)
A03E99
Mode S (octal)
50037231
Seats (type)
3
Weight class
up to 12,499 lb
Status
Current as of October 2026
Registry history

Timeline

  • 2029-04-30
    Registration expires (renewal due).
  • 1998-01-28
    Airworthiness date on the current FAA record (standard category (normal)).
  • 1996-10-12
    Accident at Big Bear City, CA; damage: substantial.
  • 1985-12-18
    Certificate of registration issued as N11481.
  • 1931
    Manufactured (1931).
Overview

About N11481

N11481 is a 1931 Waco QCF, serial number 3561. The FAA register lists Branin Air Service Inc as the registrant in Morro Bay, California. The current certificate of registration was issued on December 18, 1985 and expires on April 30, 2029.

The FAA aircraft reference file describes the type as a single-engine piston, one Continental R670-SERIES engine and 3 seats. Its airworthiness certificate is standard category (normal), dated January 28, 1998.

N11481 has 1 accident/incident record on file (most serious damage: substantial); details are below. 1 earlier record involves a different aircraft that carried the same N-number.

Safety record

Accident & incident history

1996-10-12 Accident · Big Bear City, CA Damage: Substantial NTSB · LAX97LA016
Reported aircraft: Waco QCF
Probable cause: the pilot's improper response to a perceived in-flight emergency by abruptly retarding the throttle and failing to properly flare the airplane during the aborted takeoff. The pilot's improper perception of the source of smoke was a related factor.
1981-08-15 Accident · Tavernier,Fl, 09 Damage: Destroyed NTSB · 3 2147
Reported aircraft: Lake LA-4 — a different aircraft that carried the N11481 registration before this airframe.

Sources: NTSB aviation accident database and CAROL case system, FAA preliminary accident & incident notices. Search accident records

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Data: FAA Aircraft Registry (October 2026), including deregistered aircraft; NTSB and FAA accident data; fyiAero listing history. Individual owners' names are shown to signed-in users and street addresses are never shown. Type figures are published specifications, not this aircraft's.