North American T-28C accident near Titusville, Florida, March 10, 1989
On March 10, 1989 at about 6:50 pm local time, a North American T-28C, registered N775CH, was destroyed in an accident near Titusville, Florida (Titusville airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER EXECUTION OF AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER RESULTING IN INADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND LOSS OF CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1989 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Titusville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T-28C · all T-28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N775CH · no longer on the register · serial 140639
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AEROBATIC QUALIFIED PILOT WAS PRACTICING A CUBAN 8 TYPE OF MANEUVER. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE MANEUVER WAS PERFORMED IN A REVERSE MANNER. WHEN THE PILOT PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED THE MANEUVER, HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB (SUFFICIENTLY) BEFORE MAKING A 180 DEG ROLL & GOING DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE MANEUVER. HOWEVER, JUST BEFORE THE ACDNT, AFTER COMPLETING THE FRONT SIDE OF THE MANEUVER, THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY ROLLED 180 DEG WITHOUT CLIMBING (SUFFICIENTLY). SUBSEQUENTLY, DURING RECOVERY FROM THE DESCENT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE MANEUVER, THE ACFT MUSHED INTO THE GROUND & CRASHED IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,742 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 16, 1988; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Wright R-1820 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TIX at 6:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 18 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from TIX
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.