- Date
- February 6, 1989, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marathon, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N39721Waco UPF-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890206001779I
- Case key
- 32326
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Fuel starvation due to a corroded carburetor.
Analysis
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.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39721
- Reported as
- Waco UPF-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5854
- Engine
- Continental W-670-K, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wold, Stuart G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MTH
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EYW, 32 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N39721 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.