Page Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Myers, Florida 33912
Friday, December 6, 2002 15:41 EST

The twin-engine airplane impacted a residential area after a loss of aircraft control during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The flight departed Alabama and made its way to Florida uneventfully where it made a non-precision approach at Naples with 500-foot ceilings and a visibility of two statute miles in mist. The pilot executed a missed approach after descending to the minimum descent altitude of 500 feet. After conducting the missed approach, the pilot requested to divert to Fort Meyers where they had a precision approach. Fort Meyers was reporting 300-foot ceilings and 3 statute miles of visibility at the time of the accident. The pilot conducted three approaches to Fort Meyers. The pilot was unable to obtain/maintain the final approach course and conducted a teardrop course reversal on the first two approaches to Fort Meyers before reaching the final approach fix. The pilot indicated he was experiencing "very big difficulties out here" and mentioned instrument problems, but was going to try to fly the next approach manually. The controller asked the pilot about his fuel status, to which the pilot reported it was in the yellow range. When the controller asked how much time that was, the pilot responded it was "practically nil." The controller then set the pilot up for another precision approach attempt and eventually converted it to a surveillance approach when it became apparent the pilot was having trouble obtaining and maintaining the final approach course. The airplane's radar track was over the final approach course during the final approach attempt; however, the airplane's minimum altitude was 300 feet over the approach end of the runway. The airplane overflew the runway and began a climb to 600 feet. The airplane then descended to 300 feet again as it began a left turn. The controller instructed the pilot to climb and maintain 1,500 feet and provided two vectors, neither of which the aircraft followed. The maximum altitude the airplane attained during the last missed approach was 1,200 feet before it began its final, uncontrolled descent. The last communication obtained from the pilot was during the initiation of the missed approach. The airplane departed controlled flight and impacted a garage and terrain. Wreckage was strewn 350 feet. The airplane was observed descending out of the clouds heading south at a low altitude, with the landing gear retracted, full power and a high rate of speed. Additional witnesses heard engine noise emanating from the airplane prior to both engines going silent. The propellers separated from the engines and the engines separated from the airplane. The right engine proceeded through another house before coming to rest in its attic. Post-accident examination of the engines' throttle bodies and fuel metering units revealed that the right fuel metering unit fuel flows were in excess of those specified by the manufacturer. The left fuel metering unit was substantially damaged and could not be flow tested. No additional pre-impact anomalies were noted with the airframe, its engines, or propellers that would have precluded their normal operation. The damage sustained by the cockpit was enough to preclude functional testing of any of the navigation equipment and instruments. The accident flight lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes and the pilot's flight plan indicated he had about 4 hours and 15 minutes of fuel on board. The left fuel selector was found in the ON position and the right fuel selector was found in the OFF position.

the pilot's spatial disorientation during instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors included the pilot's distraction to the low fuel status and the low cloud conditions.