Amateur-built DHC-8-100 incident near Panama City, Florida, July 25, 1990
On July 25, 1990 at about 9:50 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-8-100, registered N800MX, was involved in an incident near Panama City, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 28 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF SEAL IN THE HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR FOR THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING SPOILER PANEL FOR UNKNOWN REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1990 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 28 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-8-100
- Registration
- N800MX · no longer on the register · serial 1259
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF ROLL THE CREW NOTED A WARNING LIGHT INDICATING WING SPOILER DEPLOYMENT AND ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DEACTIVATED THE WING SPOILER SYSTEM AND THE WING SPOILER WARNING SYSTEM. AFTER TAKEOFF THE CREW EXPERIENCED ROLL CONTROL DIFICULTY AND RETURNED AND LANDED. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT OUTBOARD SPOILER PANEL HAD DEPLOYED WITH NO WARNING. THE ACTUATOR WAS REMOVED AND THE HYDRAULIC SEAL WAS FOUND CUT AND LEAKING AROUND THE PISTON THAT WAS WORN BEYOND SERVICABLE LIMITS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 42,000 lb
- Seats: 74
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W 121A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ATL Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Observation at 9:57 pm from PFN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 25 |
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.