Cessna 550 accident near Sebring, Florida, November 29, 1990
On November 29, 1990 at about 7:15 am local time, a Cessna 550, registered N97QS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sebring, Florida (Sebring Regional airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DELAYED GO-AROUND AFTER ENCOUNTERING A FOG BANK ON SHORT FINAL. THE FOG AND THE DARK NIGHT WERE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 1990 · about 7:15 am local time
- Place
- Sebring, Florida · Sebring Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N97QS · no longer on the register · serial 550-0092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE CANCELLED HIS IFR FLIGHT WITH THE DESTINATION AIRPORT IN SIGHT. ON FINAL APPROACH AT 100 FT AGL, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A FOG BANK. A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED BUT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 1,000 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. CREW USED ORLANDO ATIS FOR WEATHER; NO FOG MENTIONED.
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: 22,058 hours in all; 2,300 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 19,618 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,090 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 27, 1990; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: First Security Bank Utah
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY at 4:02 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 5,190 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 am from MCO, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.