Waco YMF accident near Lansing, Michigan, April 23, 1989
On April 23, 1989 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Waco YMF, registered N455RT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lansing, Michigan (Lansing-Capital City 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
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL, AND HIS EXCESSIVE BRAKE APPLICATION AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT NOSING OVER. THE PILOT'S INEXPERIENCE IN TAILDRAGGER AIRCRAFT, AND THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION ON THE PART OF THE CHECK PILOT WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1989 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lansing, Michigan · Lansing-Capital City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YMF · all YMFs on the register
- Registration
- N455RT · registry record · serial F5-018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON AN AIRCRAFT FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT, DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT AND DEPART THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT APPLIED BOTH BRAKES 'HARD', AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER IN THE GRASS. THE CHECK PILOT IN THE FRONT SEAT HAD NO ACCESS TO BRAKE PEDALS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,444 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,285 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1989; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,770 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs 755-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2D8 East Lansing MI at 4:08 pm
- Destination: LAN Lansing MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10R, 7,251 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:24 pm from LAN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N455RT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.