Piper PA24-260 accident near Destin, Florida, August 23, 1990
On August 23, 1990 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Piper PA24-260, registered N8756P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Destin, Florida (Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOTS FAILURE TO OBTAIN ACCURATE WIND INFORMATION RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE BEING BLOWN OFF THE RUNWAY ON LANDING WHEN A GUST WHICH EXCEEDED THE CROSSWIND CAPABILITY OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ENCOUNTERED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1990 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · Destin-Fort Walton Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA24-260 · all PA24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8756P · registry record · serial 24-4206
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT RECEIVED RUNWAY INFORMATION FROM UNICOM BUT DID NOT RECEIVE WIND INFORMATION. HE NOTICED ON APPROACH THAT THE WIND SOCK WAS POINTING PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY BUT NOT FULLY EXTENDED. ON LANDING THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTER A WIND GUST FROM THE RIGHT WHICH EXCEEDED THE CROSSWIND CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRPLANE. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN SAND WAS ENCOUNTERED NEXT TO THE RUNWAY.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 240 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 240 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,916 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 1989; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPX Houston TX at 6:20 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:25 pm from VPS, 5 miles away
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.