- Date
- April 10, 1989, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pensacola, FL
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N30PCBeech 200
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890410007409A
- Case key
- 8077
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An in flight cabin fire of undetermined origin, and smoke (toxic condition) in the crew compartment, which resulted in physical impairment of the flight crew.
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.
Analysis
The aircraft was routinely flown to Pensacola to pickup a gulf power executive for a flight to atlanta. The pax had 4 bags, 2 placed in the aft baggage area by the ground crew, the other 2 carried onboard by the pax. After takeoff the CVR recorded the pax stating that there was a fire. The fire in the aft cabin area was confirmed by the 1st officer. An emerg was declared to the pns ATCT. Subsequently, the aircraft was seen descending out of the overcast streaming dark smoke behind it. The aircraft impacted an apartment complex and a post crash fire destroyed it. No evidence of a lightning strike, aircraft system malfunction, or incendiary device was found during the investigation. Forensic chemical tests showed traces of hydrochloric and sulphuric acid on pax articles but none on the cabin interior. Metallurgical exam of broken fuel line showed overload failure and post heat distress. The interior of the cockpit windows were severely sooted. The flight crew did not don available oxygen masks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30PC
- Reported as
- Beech 200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BB702
- Airframe hours
- 6,351
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-41, 850 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Southern Company Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 28, 1989 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- PNS · Pensacola, FL
- Destination
- PDK · Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PNS · Pensacola Regional, runway 34, 7,002 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 14,200 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 12,200 as pilot in command · 114 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PNS, 3 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.