Beech S35 accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, March 9, 1989
On March 9, 1989 at about 6:37 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N6852Q, was destroyed in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Beach Regional airport). It was a personal 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
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURE AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE NAVIGATION RECEIVER, HIS DELAY IN MAKING A MISSED APCH, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TREES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 1989 · about 6:37 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Daytona Beach Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N6852Q · no longer on the register · serial D-7596
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARR, APCH CTL PROVIDED VECTORS & CLRD THE PLT FOR AN ILS RWY 7L APCH. AS THE ACFT CONTD, THE CTLR NOTED IT WAS APRX 1 MI 'SOUTH OF FINAL' & ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS RCVG THE LOCALIZER. THE PLT SAID NO. THE CTLR THEN BGN GIVING INSTRNS FOR A SURVEILLANCE APCH & TOLD THE PLT THE MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) WAS 420', BUT DID NOT CLR HIM TO DSCND. SOON THEREAFTER, THE CTLR NOTED THE MODE C READ-OUT (WHICH HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT) WAS INDCG 400'. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE PLT TO TURN LEFT TO 360 DEG & CLIMB TO 1600' & THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CTLR THEN ADZD THE PLT THERE WAS AN ANTENNA AT HIS ONEO'CLOCK PSN, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE & CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST. LATER, THE ACFT WAS FND IN THAT VCNTY WHERE IT HAD HIT TREES & CRASHED ON A HDG OF 160 DEG (1.6 MI WSW OF THE OUTER MARKER, TERRAIN ELEV APRX 35'). THE UNDMGD #1 NAV WAS FND TO BE SET AT 109.75 MHZ. THE ILS FREQ WAS 109.7 MHZ. THE PLT'S ESTD FLT TIME IN THE BEECH S35 WAS 10 HRS; HIS CFI BELIEVED HE WAS NOT CURRENT FOR INST FLT. THE 1342 EST WX AT THE ARPT WAS 300 FT OVC, 2 MI VIS WITH FOG & DRIZZLE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 510 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,156 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 1988; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AHN Athens GA at 4:39 pm
- Destination: DAB Daytona Beach FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 7,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:42 pm from DAB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.