Beech C99 accident near Birmingham, Alabama, July 10, 1991
On July 10, 1991 at about 11:12 pm local time, a Beech C99, registered N7217L, was destroyed in an accident near Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 13 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DECISION OF THE CAPTAIN TO INITIATE AND CONTINUE AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH INTO CLEARLY IDENTIFIED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE FROM WHICH THE FLIGHTCREW WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH OBSTACLES AND THE TERRAIN. (NTSB REPORT AAR-92/01)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1991 · about 11:12 pm local time
- Place
- Birmingham, Alabama · Birmingham Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 13 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech C99 · all C99s on the register
- Registration
- N7217L · registry record · serial U226
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO HOUSES WHILE ON AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 5 AT THE BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT. THE WEATHER BRIEFING DATA THAT THE CAPTAIN RECEIVED IN MOBILE WAS ACCURATE, ADVISING HIM TO EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS IN THE BIRMINGHAM AREA. BIRMINGHAM ATIS INFORMATION WHISKEY AND X-RAY, MENTIONING THUNDERSTORMS, WAS ALSO ACCURATE, AND THE FLIGHTCREW HEARD THEM, AS WELL AS INFORMATION FROM THE APPROACH CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS EXPERIENCING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,141 hours in all; 553 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 20, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 11,000 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-36 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: L'Express Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MOB Mobile AL at 10:05 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:10 pm from BHM, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 12 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA91MA042.