Waco YMF accident near Key West, Florida, February 3, 1989
On February 3, 1989 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Waco YMF, registered N99Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key West, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INABILITY OF THE PLT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AFTER ENCOUNTERING HIS OWN WAKE TURBULENCE AT A LOW ALTITUDE DURING A STEEP TURNING MANEUVER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 1989 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Key West, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco YMF · all YMFs on the register
- Registration
- N99Y · registry record · serial F-5-002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THEY HAD JUST PASSED OVER A SCHOOL OF DOLPHIN WHILE ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT OVER WATER AT ABOUT 100 FT. HE REVERSED COURSE TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE FISH & WHILE IN THE TURN THE ACFT ROLLED ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT. ACFT ROLLED INTO A VERT BANK & THE ACFT HIT THE WATER INVERTED & SANK IN ABOUT 12 FT OF WATER. THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD OBSERVED A C-130 TYPE ACFT FLYING IN THE AREA AT APPROX 800 FT JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE & HIS WIFE RECALLED HE HAD BEEN MAKING A LOW STEEP BANK OVER THE WATER AND HE RECALLED GRAVITY FORCES PRESSING THEM DOWN INTO THE SEAT DURING THE TURN. THEY HAD COMPLETED THE 1ST STEEP TURN AND WERE IN THE 2ND BANK OF ABOUT 90 DEGS WHEN A 'GUST' WAS FELT & THE NEXT THING THEY KNEW, THEY HIT THE WATER UPSIDE DOWN. NEITHER PAX RECALLED SEEING ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. ONE PAX STATED THAT HE HAD SOME PREVIOUS FLT TIME INCLUDING SOLO.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,402 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 2, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755-B2M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYW Key West FL at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:32 pm from EYW, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N99Y 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.