Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cape Canaveral, Florida 32925
Wednesday, June 9, 1999 20:54 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot obtained no preflight or in-flight weather briefings. While being vectored by ATC and advised to maintain VFR under dark night conditions, the non-instrument rated pilot encountered level 3 radar returns. Radar data from Jacksonville ARTCC indicates that the airplane entered a left turn with the airplane descending 1,000 feet in a 12 second period between the second to last and the last radar returns. The airplane was lost from radar at 5,400 feet mean sea level. Separated sections of both wings and right horizontal stabilator were located about .3 nautical mile south-southwest of the main wreckage location. Examination of the fracture surfaces revealed no evidence of preexisting cracks. A search for the airplane by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, and aircraft from Patrick and Moody Air Force Base was performed. The flight crew of a helicopter from the 301'st rescue squadron located the wreckage approximately 40 hours after the airplane was lost from radar. Examination of the engine, flight controls, and vacuum pump revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The end of civil twilight where radar contact was lost occurred at 2052. Cocaine and benzoylecgonine, which is an inactive metabolite of cocaine, were detected in the pilot's bile. Propoxyphene, which is a narcotic painkiller often referred to by the trade name Darvon, and norpropoxyphene, which is a metabolite of Propoxyphene, were also detected in the pilot's bile. A small plastic packet of cocaine was found in a wallet that contained the pilot's identification.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's VFR flight into Instrument meteorological conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the aircraft resulting in overload and separation of both wings. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight and in-flight weather briefing, thunderstorm and dark night conditions, and the pilot's lack of instrument certification.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/9/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2054 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | CAPE CANAVERAL |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32925 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2055 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 307 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1560 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 9 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2001 4:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N56192 |
| NTSB Number | MIA99FA172 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7335380 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 4 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 78 |
| Airframe Hours | 2883 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAJOR STRATEGIES, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1995 W. COMMERCIAL BLVD. #H488 |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT LAUDERDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33309 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FXE |
| Departure City | FORT LAUDERDALE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1903 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SFB |
| Destination City | SANFORD |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 11 2001 4:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |