NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA95LA041
Registry · N89515
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
WACO CLASSIC AIRCRAFT YMF-F5C
Year of manufacture
1998
Engine
JACOBS R755B SERIES (275 hp)
Seats / Engines
3 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19981211
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC5A80
Registrant of record
FOCUS AIR LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE STUDENT PILOTS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST AND ASSURE THE DOOR WAS CLOSED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE STUDENT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL.
Factual narrative
On December 18, 1994, about 0936 eastern standard time, N89515, a Cessna 152, operated by Wayman Aviation Inc. crashed on takeoff attempt at Opa-Locka Airport, Opa-Locka, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The student pilot was cleared for three touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. On the first takeoff during takeoff roll the student noted the door was open, and he attempted to close it while still continuing the takeoff. The airplane veered left off the runway and crashed into a canal. THE STUDENT PILOT INITIATED HIS FIRST SOLO TAKEOFF ROLL AND NOTED THE RIGHT DOOR WAS AJAR. HE CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND AND IT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A CANAL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1994_MIA95LA041.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2021 · Poster
Sleep, Sleepiness, and Performance Across Three In-Flight Bunk Rest Opportunities
Introduction: Airline pilots are required to take a rest break in a bunk during long-haul flights in an effort to reduce sleepiness during critical phases of flight.
- Semantic Scholar 2020 · Article (Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy)
Routine opioid outcome monitoring in community pharmacy: Outcomes from an open-label single-arm implementation-effectiveness pilot study.
BACKGROUND In response to rising harms with prescription opioids, recent attention has focused on how to better utilise community pharmacists to monitor outcomes with opioid medicines.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2011 · Journal article (JAAER)
System Safety Study: Pedagogical Aviation Action Research
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