Boeing 727 and Beech 300 incident near Ormond Beach, Florida, December 15, 1989
On December 15, 1989 at about 3:23 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 727 (N64339) and Beech 300 (N72), were involved in the same incident near Ormond Beach, Florida. No one was hurt; 59 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND IN THE BEECH 300 TO COMPLY WITH AN ATC CLEARANCE IN A TIMELY MANNER, WHILE DIVERTING HIS ATTENTION, AND FAILURE OF THE ATC CONTROLLER TO ASSURE THAT IFR SEPARATION WAS MAINTAINED.
FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND IN THE BEECH 300 TO COMPLY WITH AN ATC CLEARANCE IN A TIMELY MANNER, WHILE DIVERTING HIS ATTENTION, AND FAILURE OF THE ATC CONTROLLER TO ASSURE THAT IFR SEPARATION WAS MAINTAINED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1989 · about 3:23 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Ormond Beach, Florida
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 59 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 727 · all 727s on the register
- Registration
- N64339 · registry record · serial 20844
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Beech 300 · all 300s on the register
- Registration
- N72 · registry record · serial FF-7
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN FAA BEECH 300, CALL SIGN: FLT CHECK 72 (FLC72), WAS HDG SE ON J79 AT FL260, WHILE TWA FLT 393 WAS HDG SOUTH ON J45 AT FL310. BOTH HAD IFR CLNCS & WERE BEING CTLD BY THE R58 CTLR AT JACKSONVILLE ARTCC. AT THAT TIME, THE CTLR WAS BUSY WORKING A NUMBER OF OTR ACFT. FLC72 REQUESTED A DSCNT, BUT THE DSCNT WAS DELAYED WHILE THE CTLR COORDINATED TFC WITH ANOTHER CTLR. IN THE MEANTIME, FLT 393 WAS CLRD TO DSCND TO FL240. ABT 90 SEC LTR, FLC72 WAS TOLD TO FLY A HDG OF 195 DEG & TO DSCND & MAINT 16,000'. FLC72 ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT DID NOT DSCND IN A TIMELY MANNER, NOR DID THE CTLR NOTE THE ANOMALY. SUBSEQUENTLY, FLC72 & FLT 393 CONVERGED TO ABT .8 MI HORIZONTAL SEPN AT THE SAME ALT. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE CAPT OF FLC72 ALLOWED THE COPLT TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT & LET ANOTHER FAA EMPLOYEE OCCUPY THE COPLT'S SEAT. THE CAPT RPRTD THAT HE MAY HAVE BECOME DISTRACTED WHILE BRIEFING THE EMPLOYEE.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Beech 300 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN FAA BEECH 300, CALL SIGN; FLT CHECK 72 (FLC72), WAS HDG SE ON J79 AT FL260, WHILE TWA FLT 393 WAS HDG SOUTH ON J45 AT FL310. BOTH HAD IFR CLNCS & WERE BEING CTLD BY THE R58 CTLD AT JACKSONVILLE ARTCC. AT THAT TIME, THE CTLR WAS BUSY WORKING A NUMBER OF OTR ACFT. FLC72 REQUESTED A DSCNT, BUT THE DSCNT WAS DELAYED WHILE THE CTLR COORDINATED TFC WITH ANOTHER CTLR. IN THE MEANTIME, FLT 393 WAS CLRD TO DSCND TO FL240. ABT 90 SEC LTR, FLC72 WAS TOLD TO FLY A HDG OF 195 DEG & TO DSCND & MAINT 16,000'. FLC72 ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT DID NOT DSCND IN A TIMELY MANNER, NOR DID THE CTLR NOTE THE ANOMALY. SUBSEQUENTLY, FLC72 & FLT 393 CONVERGED TO ABT .8 MI MI HORIZONTAL SEPN AT THE SAME ALT. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE CAPT OF FLC72 ALLOWED THE COPLT TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT & LET ANOTHER FAA EMPLOYEE OCCUPY THE COPLT'S SEAT. THE CAPT RPRTD THAT HE MAY HAVE BECOME DISTRACTED WHILE BRIEFING THE EMPLOYEE.
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 for the Boeing 727 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 142,000 lb
- Seats: 230
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY
- Destination: MCO Orlando FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from CRG, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 47 |
The factual record for the Beech 300 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 14,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTY Atlanta GA
- Destination: X47 Bunnell FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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
- N64339 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Boeing 727 37 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Boeing 6,679 aircraft on the register
- N72 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft 300 King Air 300 131 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W JT8D 82 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: P&W PT6A 2,218 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Laguardia Airport · departed from
- Orlando International · bound for
- Fulton County Exec/Charlie Brown Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 988 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,702 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA90IA039.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.