Cessna 550 accident near Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, October 2, 1989
On October 2, 1989 at about 2:07 am local time, a Cessna 550, registered N53CC, was destroyed in an accident near Hurdle Mills, North Carolina (Person County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) DUE TO DRUGS/MEDICATION, CHEMOTHERAPY AND FATIGUE; FAILURE OF THE PIC TO ASSURE THAT THE IFR (INSTRUMENT) APCH PROCEDURE WAS FOLLOWED; AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA). INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE OF THE OPERATION BY COMPANY/OPERATOR/MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 1989 · about 2:07 am local time
- Place
- Hurdle Mills, North Carolina · Person County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N53CC · registry record · serial 550-400
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,986 hours in all; 2,643 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 6,236 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,111 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 14, 1989; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,300 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 1:24 am
- Destination: TDF Roxboro NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from RDU, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.