Miami - Melbourne - Tampa - New Orleans - Mobile - Pensacola

On May 8, 1978 at 09:20 PM, Miami - Melbourne - Tampa - New Orleans - Mobile - Pensacola experienced a crash involving Boeing 727-200, operated by National Airlines, with the event recorded near Pensacola Florida.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

58 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 55 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 5.2%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 52, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Flight 193 operated as a scheduled passenger from Miami to Pensacola, FL, with en route stops at Melbourne and Tampa, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile. About 21:02 CDT the flight departed Mobile on an IFR flight plan to Pensacola and climbed to the cruising altitude of 7,000 feet. At 21:09, the crew were told that they would be vectored for an airport surveillance radar (ASR) approach to runway 25. At 21:13, the radar controller told National 193 that it was 11 nm NW of the airport and cleared it to descend and maintain 1,700 feet. At 21:17 flaps were selected at 15° and two minutes later the flight was cleared to descend to 1,500 feet and shortly after that further down to the MDA (480 feet). As the aircraft rolled out on the final approach heading, the captain called for the landing gear and the landing final checklist. At 21:20:15, the ground proximity warning system (GPWS) whooper warning continued for nine seconds until the first officer silenced the warning. Nine seconds later the 727 hit the water with gear down and flaps at 25°. It came to rest in about 12 feet of water. The weather at the time of the accident was 400 feet overcast, 4 miles visibility in fog and haze, wind 190°/7 kts. Three passengers were killed while 55 other occupants were rescued, among them 11 were injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration N4744, MSN 19464, year of manufacture 1968.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 30.4213°, -87.2169°.