Piper PA-30 accident near Tallahassee, Florida, January 6, 1990
On January 6, 1990 at about 1:08 am local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7030Y, was destroyed in an accident near Tallahassee, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT FACTOR IN THAT HE FAILED TO MAINTAIN A/C CONTROL IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION CAUSED BY FIXATION OF AN UNDETERMINED LIGHT SOURCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 1990 · about 1:08 am local time
- Place
- Tallahassee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7030Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-31
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN IMC CONDITIONS, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27 AT TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL AIRPORT, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH, HE HAD PREPARED HIMSELF MENTALLY TO FLY THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH ABOVE THE PUBLISHED DECISSION HEIGHT. HE FURTHER STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN BELOW THE GLIDE PATH AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. AT 300 FEET AGL THE PILOT LOOKED OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE SEARCHING FOR THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT. HE SAW LIGHTS AND A YELLOW ROTATING BEACON AND BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND FIXATED ON THE ROTATING BEACON. HE DID NOT INCREASE HIS SCANNING OR RETURN HIS VISION BACK INSIDE TO THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS AND CRASHED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE SOURCE OF THE ROTATING BEACON WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 476 hours in all; 164 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,578 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 1989; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKV Brooksville FL
- Destination: TLH Tallahassee FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.