Waco UPF-7 incident near Marathon, Florida, February 6, 1989
On February 6, 1989 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Waco UPF-7, registered N39721, suffered minor damage in an incident near Marathon, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO A CORRODED CARBURETOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1989 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Marathon, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco UPF-7 · all UPF-7s on the register
- Registration
- N39721 · registry record · serial 5854
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT DURING NORMAL CRUISE, THE PLT REPORTED THE ENG QUIT. HE DITCHED THE ACFT IN THE OCEAN. MONTHS LATER, AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED, A CURSORY EXAMINATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR BOWL AND FUEL STRAINER REVEALED CORROSION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTH at 5:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from EYW, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 N39721 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N39721 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Waco UPF-7 189 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Waco 657 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental W-670-K 987 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- The Florida Keys Marathon International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 988 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,696 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N39721 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA89IA080.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.