Cessna 172N incident near Homestead, Florida, February 25, 1989
On February 25, 1989 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N734MC, was involved in an incident near Homestead, Florida. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION CAUSED BY A STICKING NEEDLE VALVE WHICH WAS SOFTENED BY CONTACT WITH AUTOMOTIVE FUEL PREVIOUSLY USED TO OPERATE THE ENGINE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1989 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Homestead, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N734MC · registry record · serial 17268952
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING TO CRUISE THE PLT REPORTED THE ENG LOST POWER THEN QUIT. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE ACFT NOSED OVER. AFTER A TEMPORARY FUEL SUPPLY WAS CONNECTED TO THE ENG, ATTEMPTS TO RUN IT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL WITHOUT PUMPING THE THROTTLE. THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED & DISASSEMBLY REVEALED A STICKING NEEDLE VALVE. AFTER REASSEMBLY & INSTALLATION, THE ENG OPERATED NORMALLY. PRIOR TO THE ACFT PURCHASE BY THE FLIGHT SCHOOL, THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATED USING AUTOMOTIVE FUEL.
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
- Flight time: 213 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 154 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,671 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 21, 1989; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Savco Flying CO.
The flight
- Destination: X01 Everglades City FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:47 pm from TMB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA89IA095.