Cessna 402B accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, July 23, 2006
On July 23, 2006 at about 8:53 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N991PH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale Executive airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with an airport runway sign, and subsequent collapse of the nose gear. A factor contributing to the accident was a thunderstorm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2006 · about 8:53 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N991PH · registry record · serial 402B1329
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot departed from an ocean island airport in a twin-engine, wheel-equipped airplane at 1630 local time on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 VFR positioning flight to a mainland airport. At 1636, the weather conditions at the arrival airport included wind of 10 knots, with gusts to 25 knots, and a visibility of 1 statute mile in light thunderstorms and rain. At the time of the accident,1653, the weather conditions included wind of 6 knots, with gusts to 25 knots, and a visibility of 1/2 statute mile in heavy thunderstorms and rain. The weather observation at 1653 noted in the remarks section that thunderstorms began at 1613. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the runway and collided with a runway sign, collapsing the nose gear. An FAA inspector examined the airplane and discovered that when the nose gear collapsed, the propellers struck the ground, and the airplane received structural damage to the fuselage.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,190 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gabriel Schwartz/Bimini Island Air
The flight
- Departed from: MYBS South Bimini at 8:30 pm
- Destination: KFXE Ft. Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KFXE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.