Cessna 402B accident near Tampa, Florida, October 27, 1997
On October 27, 1997 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N69293, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tampa, Florida (Tampa International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the landing checklist and extend the landing gear for landing, and his failure to maintain VMC during a go-around. Factors were: the pilot's diverted attention due to a non-stabilized instrument approach and his lack of recent instrument experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1997 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N69293 · no longer on the register · serial 402B-0415
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight had departed runway 32, under IFR, from a local reliever airport 35 miles south of the destination, and was cleared to intercept the ILS approach for runway 36R. Instrument meteorological conditions existed with a low scattered cloud layer beneath the 900 foot broken clouds. Visibility was 8 miles. The flight never stabilized on the inbound course and glide slope. After acquiring the runway visually, about 3 miles from the airport, the airplane dove for the runway, subsequently touching down with the landing gear retracted. The left propeller incurred greater damage than the right propeller. The airplane began to go around, pitched up, then entered a steep left, descending turn that continued until impact with the ground.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,050 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,622 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 16, 1997; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520EB8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ Sarasota FL
- Destination: TPA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36R, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from TPA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.