What happened
On the evening of the accident, Flight 193 was operating a scheduled service from Mobile, Alabama, with several intermediate stops including Tampa and New Orleans, en route to Pensacola, Florida. While flying under IFR flight rules, the Boeing 727 climbed to a cruising altitude of 7,000 feet. During the approach phase, air traffic control instructed the crew to prepare for an airport surveillance radar approach to runway 25.
As the aircraft descended toward the minimum descent altitude of 480 feet, the crew began configuring the plane, selecting 15° of flaps. While the captain initiated landing gear and checklist procedures, a ground proximity warning system (GPWS) alert began sounding at 21:20:15. The warning persisted for nine seconds before being silenced by the first officer. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft impacted the water with its landing gear extended and flaps set at 25°. The wreckage settled in approximately 12 feet of water. At the time of the crash, visibility was limited to 4 miles due to fog and haze, with an overcast ceiling of 400 feet.
The accident resulted in 3 fatalities and left 11 injuries among the survivors, while 55 other occupants were successfully rescued from the scene.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the flight crew performed a non-precision instrument approach in an unprofessional manner. Specifically, the captain and crew failed to properly monitor the aircraft's descent rate and altitude. The first officer did not provide the necessary callouts regarding approach performance or altitude. Furthermore, the crew failed to utilize all available instruments to maintain situational awareness regarding their altitude, leading to improper aircraft configuration.
A critical factor involved the handling of the GPWS alert; the captain did not follow established company procedures for responding to the warning, and the flight engineer deactivated the alarm without the captain's authorization. Additionally, the radar controller's failure to provide timely notice regarding the start-descent point contributed to an accelerated workload in the cockpit.