Waco YMF N99Y

Summary

On 3 February 1989 at about 16:30 local time, a Waco YMF registered N99Y was involved in an accident near Key West, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 February 1989 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Key West, Florida, United States

Coordinates

24.5508, -81.7805

Aircraft

Waco YMF

Registration

N99Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Key West → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA89LA076

3 people had minor injuries.

THE INABILITY OF THE PLT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AFTER ENCOUNTERING HIS OWN WAKE TURBULENCE AT A LOW ALTITUDE DURING A STEEP TURNING MANEUVER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.