N976WL
Beech A36
During cruise flight at 10,000 feet without weather avoidance radar on board the airplane, the flight encountered adverse weather associated with a level 3 weather echo. Altitude excursions of 5,000 fpm and 4,000 fpm decreases and increases were noted respectively. Groundspeed excursions were also noted. Radar and radio contact were lost, when the flight was at 8,400 feet. Recovered wreckage revealed no evidence of heat damage. According to a friend of the pilot, he had little actual instrument experience and would have avoided adverse weather. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing with an FAA facility nor with DUAT.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 9, 1996, about 1005 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36, N976WL, registered to Fly, Inc., was simultaneously lost from radar and radio contact while over the Northwest Providence Channel, Atlantic Ocean, about 46 nautical miles south-southeast of the Freeport International Airport, Freeport, Bahamas. Weather conditions are unknown and an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 flight. The private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated about 0948 from the Great Harbor Cay Airport, Great Harbor Cay, Bahamas. Review of an ATC transcript of communications revealed that at 0950.14, the pilot contacted the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and advised the controller that the flight had departed Great Harbor and he would like to file an IFR flight plan to the Palm Beach International Airport. The flight was assigned a discrete transponder code and the airplane was radar identified at 0956.05 when the flight was 9 miles northwest of the Great Harbor Cay. The pilot was questioned if he filed an IFR flight plan with radio (FSS) and the pilot responded that he was unable. The controller advised the pilot to fly heading 285 degrees to intercept Bahamas Route 54V to the Palm Beach Airport. At the pilots request the controller advised the pilot to climb and maintain 10,000 feet. The flight continued and the pilot assisted with a ATC communication relay with another airplane. The last recorded ATC contact with the Miami ARTCC controller occurred at 0958.35 when the pilot responded to the controllers comment for assisting with ATC contact with the other airplane. At 1006.09, a Bahamas Air pilot advised the same controller that he heard a pilot report "Mayday..." The mayday communication was also confirmed by the pilot of another airplane and by a Continental Airlines flight crew. The ARTCC controller then attempted direct contact with the pilot and also by a relay with another airplane, both with negative results. The controller requested that the Continental flight fly in the area of the last known contact which was complied with. At 1021.52 while flying at 11,000 feet mean sea level in the vicinity of the last known position, the flight crew reported "well the stuff ah right to our north theres some pretty good chop but ah down where we are right now its ah smooth and ah no clouds-that weather is about ah just about 10 miles er right off our right wing now." The controller questioned the distance and the crew responded that the tops were about 25,000 to the right. The controller again vectored the Continental airlines flight to the last known position and when the flight arrived there at 1024.54, the flight crew reported experiencing rain and they were unable to see the water. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Information pertaining to the pilot is contained in the Factual Report-Aviation. Additionally, the pilot's pilot logbook was not located; therefore, instrument experience and instrument currency could not be determined. According to a friend who had flown with him in the past 6 months, the accident pilot did not have alot of experience flying in actual IFR conditions. He also stated that the pilot would file IFR more for flight following and he would avoid adverse weather. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Information pertaining to the airplane is contained in the Factual Report-Aviation. The airplane was not equipped with weather avoidance radar but was equipped with a stormscope. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION There was no record of the pilot obtaining a preflight weather briefing through the FAA or through the 2 companies contracted by the FAA to provide DUATS weather briefings. A weather group chairman report which was prepared is an attachment to this report. In part the report indicates that about 1.6 miles west of the latitude and longitude of the last radar return before changes in altitude occurs, indicates an area of a strong level 3 weather echo. According to the meteorologist who prepared the report, the radar antenna was located 122 nautical miles from the radar return location. Due to the distance from the radar site, attenuation would result in depicting a weather echo less than actually encountered. COMMUNICATIONS The pilot was in contact with the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) at the time of the loss of radar and radio contact. A transcript of communications is an attachment to this report. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION Wreckage that was recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard consisted of components of the nose landing gear assembly, right wing upper skin aft inboard section with wing walk compound, a communication antenna, a non-inflatable life jacket, a section of fuselage frame with attached shoulder harness which was attached to the attach point of a seatbelt that was buckled. No other components were recovered. Examination of the components revealed no evidence of heat damage. According to the Coast Guard personnel, a fuel slick was noted during the initial rescue efforts. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed by Valerie J. Rao, M.D., Associate Medical Examiner, Dade County, Florida. The cause of death was listed as blunt trauma. Toxicological testing was performed by the Dade County Toxicology Laboratory. The results were negative for volatiles, basic drugs, and carbon monoxide. Toxicological testing was also performed by the FAA Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory. Unsuitable specimens prevented testing for carbon monoxide and cyanide. The results were negative for volatiles and tested drugs. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Review of the Miami ARTCC Data Analysis and Reduction Tool (DART) revealed that each radar target is about 6 seconds apart. At 0955.54, when the aircraft was initially radar identified the heading was 297 degrees and the reported altitude was 6,500 feet. The airplane continued to climb nearly on the same heading and at 0959.54, the DART indicated that the assigned altitude was 10,000 feet. The heading continued to change from about 292 degrees to 311 degrees at 1001.48, when the ground speed was 120 knots and the reported altitude was 10,000 feet. Review of the DART data over the next 1 minute 24 seconds indicated that the heading changed from 311 to 298 degrees. The next radar target 6 seconds later indicates that the altitude decreased from 9,900 to 7,800 feet and about 18 seconds later, the ground speed was documented to be 49 knots and the altitude was 8,200 feet. The data over the next 1 minute 36 seconds indicates changes in altitude in 6 second intervals of 500 feet decreases and altitude increases of 400 feet at 6 second intervals. Also, a change in heading to a nearly westerly heading. At 1005.06, the ground speed was documented to be 140 knots and the altitude was 8,400 feet. The retained wreckage was released to Mr. Craig Walker of Marco Flite Services, on August 21, 1996.
an inflight collision with the terrain (water) for undetermined reason(s). Factors relating to the accident were: failure of the pilot to obtain a preflight weather briefing, his failure to obtain in-flight weather avoidance assistance, and his resultant inadvertent encounter with a level three thunderstorm.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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