Beech C-99 and Cessna 172P incident near Orlando, Florida, February 4, 1988
On February 4, 1988 at about 11:21 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Beech C-99 (N232BH) and Cessna 172P (N54119), were involved in the same incident near Orlando, Florida (Orlando Intl airport). No one was hurt; 18 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 1988 · about 11:21 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Orlando Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 18 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Beech C-99 · all C-99s on the register
- Registration
- N232BH · no longer on the register · serial U-232
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54119 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Beech C-99 final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG A VISUAL APCH TO ORLANDO INTL ARPT, BAR HARBOR FLT 3949 (BEECH C-99, N232BH) CONTACTED THE TOWER (LOCAL CONTROLLER) AT 1817:07 & RPRTD 5 MI NORTH OF THE VOR FOR LANDING. THE VOR WAS LOCATED 5.8 MI NORTH OF THE RWY. ABOUT 20 SEC LATER, THE LOCAL CONTROLLER (LC) CLRD FLT 3949 TO LAND ON RWY 18L. AT 1818:15, A CESSNA 172 PLT (N54119) CONTACTED THE TOWER & RPRTD ' . . . READY, FULL LENGTH, RIGHT SIDE.' TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE TO HEAVY, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY, N54119 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 18R & TO TURN LEFT TO 090 DEG AFTER TAKEOFF. AS N54119 WAS DEPARTING ON RWY 18R, FLT 3949 WAS LANDING LONG ON RWY 18L. SOON AFTER LIFT-OFF, N54119 BEGAN A LEFT TURN & CROSSED OVER RWY 18L IN THE VICINITY WHERE FLT 3949 WAS LANDING. THIS RESULTED IN A NEAR COLLISION. THE CAPT OF FLT 3949 ESTIMATED THE CESSNA CROSSED ABOUT 150 TO 200 FT IN FRONT & SLIGHTLY ABOVE HIS FLT PATH. THE LC SAID THAT DRG THE OCCURRENCE, SHE SAW N54119 LIFT-OFF, THEN SHE DIVERTED HER ATTENTION TO ANOTHER ACFT.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172P final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG A VISUAL APCH TO ORLANDO INTL ARPT, BAR HARBOR FLT 3949 (BEECH C-99, N232BH) CONTACTED THE TOWER (LOCAL CONTROLLER) AT 1817:07 & RPRTD 5 MI NORTH OF THE VOR FOR LANDING. THE VOR WAS LOCATED 5.8 MI NORTH OF THE RWY. ABOUT 20 SEC LATER, THE LOCAL CONTROLLER (LC) CLRD FLT 3949 TO LAND ON RWY 18L. AT 1818:15, A CESSNA 172 PLT (N54119) CONTACTED THE TOWER & RPRTD ' . . . READY, FULL LENGTH, RIGHT SIDE.' TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE TO HEAVY, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY, N54119 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RWY 18R & TO TURN LEFT TO 090 DEG AFTER TAKEOFF. AS N54119 WAS DEPARTING ON RWY 18R, FLT 3949 WAS LANDING LONG ON RWY 18L. SOON AFTER LIFT-OFF, N54119 BEGAN A LEFT TURN & CROSSED OVER RWY 18L IN THE VICINITY WHERE FLT 3949 WAS LANDING. THIS RESULTED IN A NEAR COLLISION. THE CAPT OF FLT 3949 ESTIMATED THE CESSNA CROSSED ABOUT 150 TO 200 FT IN FRONT & SLIGHTLY ABOVE HIS FLT PATH. THE LC SAID THAT DRG THE OCCURRENCE, SHE SAW N54119 LIFT-OFF, THEN SHE DIVERTED HER ATTENTION TO ANOTHER ACFT.
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 for the Beech C-99 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 10,400 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: THL Tallahassee FL at 10:10 pm
- Destination: MCO Orlando FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18L, 12,004 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from MCO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 15 |
The factual record for the Cessna 172P from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,510 hours in all; 1,396 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCO at 11:21 pm
- Destination: TI Titusville FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18R, 12,000 ft by 300 ft
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.