Beech 200 accident near Pensacola, Florida, April 10, 1989
On April 10, 1989 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Beech 200, registered N30PC, was destroyed in an accident near Pensacola, Florida (Pensacola Regional airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1989 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pensacola, Florida · Pensacola Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N30PC · registry record · serial BB702
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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: airline transport pilot, 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: 14,200 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 12,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,351 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 28, 1989; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PNS Pensacola FL at 5:58 pm
- Destination: PDK Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:07 pm from PNS, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.