Waco YMF accident near Sedona, Arizona, May 19, 1998
On May 19, 1998 at about 3:56 pm local time, a Waco YMF, registered N43064, suffered minor damage in an accident near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
The failure of the pilot to secure the ignition system and magnetos in the off position before asking the ground crewman to rotate the propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1998 · about 3:56 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · 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
- N43064 · registry record · serial F5C-062
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A ground crewman was injured when rotating the propeller before engine start, and the propeller reversed in a 180-degree kickback. The pilot reported that the magnetos had been in the off position and only the master switch was on. An FAA inspector examined the ignition system and found no evidence of mechanical malfunction. He also reported that the aircraft had two 100-hour inspections within the past 2 months, at which time the ignition system was checked with no abnormalities noted.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from FLG, 18 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 N43064 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.