Waco YMS accident near Kailua, Hawaii, September 28, 1990
On September 28, 1990 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Waco YMS, registered N40115, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kailua, Hawaii. 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
IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 1990 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kailua, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YMS
- Registration
- N40115 · no longer on the register · serial 5023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF A WACO YMF, N40115, STATED AFTER COMPLETING SEVERAL AEROBATIC MANEUVERS EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE PILOT STATED HE ENTERED ANOTHER LOOP AT 3500 FEET. HE STATED HE ADDED FULL POWER ON THE UP SIDE AND REDUCED POWER TO IDLE ON THE DOWN SIDE. HE STATED AS HE STARTED TO ROUND OUT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LOOP HE ADDED POWER AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT SPREAD WAS FOUND TO BE IN 'SERIOUS ICING-GLIDE' RANGE.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,652 hours in all; 135 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 14,084 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,770 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KOA Keahole Apt. HI at 7:45 pm
- Destination: KOA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:50 pm from KOA, 10 miles away
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 N40115 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.