Boeing E75N1 accident near Stuart, Florida, March 31, 1989
On March 31, 1989 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Boeing E75N1, registered N53549, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart, Florida (Witham Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY BOTH THE PILOT OF THE BOEING E75N1 AND THE PERSON RUNNING UP THE OV-1 (THEIR FAILURE TO SEE EACH OTHER AND AVOID THE OCCURRENCE).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1989 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida · Witham Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing E75N1 · all E75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N53549 · registry record · serial 75-8196
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST LANDED ON RUNWAY 20 & WAS CLEARED TO TAXI ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY, NEXT TO RUNWAY 15. AS HE WAS TAXIING, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED PROPELLER BLAST FROM AN OV-1, ENGINE RUN-UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TAXI- WAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS BLOWN SIDEWAYS OFF THE TAXIWAY.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,020 hours in all; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 1988; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,717 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670-6N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Ft Pierce FL at 1:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 5,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from VRB, 30 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.