Accidents · NTSB MIA90IA039 · Final report

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.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date: December 15, 1989 · about 3:23 pm local time
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.

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.