Douglas DC-3C accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, April 20, 1993
On April 20, 1993 at about 8:24 pm local time, a Douglas DC-3C, registered N8056, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 42 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN BEST SINGLE-ENGINE RATE-OF-CLIMB SPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A POSSIBLE EXHAUST SYSTEM CLAMP FAILURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1993 · about 8:24 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 42 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-3C · all DC-3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8056 · no longer on the register · serial 25735
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT ON INITIAL CLIMB, AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL, THE CREW SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, FOLLOWED BY LIGHT SMOKE IN THE CABIN. BOTH ENGINES APPEARED NORMAL VISUALLY. THE ODOR AND SMOKE INCREASED, AND THE LEFT FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN & THE PROP FEATHERED. THE PILOT INCREASED POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB OR MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. A GEAR AND FLAPS UP FORCED LANDING WAS MADE INTO A FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BELIEVED AN EXHAUST CLAMP BROKE ALLOWING A SEGMENT OF EXHAUST TO SCORCH COWLING AND ACTIVATE THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE LOWER FIRE DETECTION ELEMENTS WERE FUSED AND BROKEN FREE, AND THAT THE HYDRAULIC LINES WERE BURNED THROUGH.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 4,150 in this make and model; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,891 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 1993; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 26,900 lb
- Seats: 42
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W 1830-75 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phoenix Air INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH at 8:22 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from TPA, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 40 |
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.