Cessna 208B accident near Fort Myers, Florida, July 12, 1989
On July 12, 1989 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N921FE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida (Fort Myers airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLARE BY THE PILOT FOR LANDING AND IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF AIRSPEED ON FINAL APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1989 · about 2:15 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Fort Myers · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N921FE · registry record · serial 208B0021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE MADE A TIGHT TURN TO FINAL APCH FOR LANDING & ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO DISSIPATE. SUBSEQUENTLY, A HIGH SINK RATE DEVELOPED & THE ACFT LANDED HARD. DRG THE OCCURRENCE, THE MAIN GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED & THE FUSELAGE WAS WRINKLED.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,450 hours in all; 1,024 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 4,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,452 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 10, 1989; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-114 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Air Cargo
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL at 1:27 pm
- Destination: FMY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 4,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from FMY
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N921FE on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 208 Caravan 1,017 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W PT6A-114 2,217 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Page Field · nearest airport
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,708 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA89LA193.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.