Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Homosassa Spgs., Florida 34487
Sunday, November 30, 2008 18:18 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The day of the accident the pilot contacted the St. Petersburg Flight Service Station at 0852, 1308, and 1701 local time. Each time, he requested an abbreviated weather briefing and was told of embedded thunderstorms and convective activity along the route of flight. He was also told that there was a tornado watch in effect for central and southern Florida. After amending the instrument-flight-rules flight plan takeoff time three times, the flight was cleared to take off from runway 36 at 1730. After takeoff the flight was handed off to Jacksonville Center (ZJX) and the controller provided information on the moderate and heavy precipitation along the pilot's route of flight for the next 100 miles. The pilot requested deviation of "any holes" left or right of the flight path. The controller informed him that the moderate to heavy precipitation was to the left and right of them for 200 miles. About 10 minutes after the initial contact with the controller, the pilot asked "How much further does it look for us?...Getting bumped around pretty bad here." The ZJX controller advised that they were in moderate precipitation for the next 30 miles and briefed them on what to expect for the next several miles; the pilot acknowledged the transmission. After about 5 minutes, the controller informed the pilot that they were in a patch with no precipitation and again briefed him on what to expect for the remainder of the flight; the pilot never acknowledged the transmission and no further transmissions were received. About 30 seconds later, with the flight over the Gulf of Mexico and on a southeast heading at approximately 5,000 feet msl, radar contact was lost. Prior to the loss of contact radar returns show that the airplane began a right descending turn. At that time, satellite weather imagery depicted a line of clouds along a front and over the last radar hit consisting of nimbostratus to embedded cumulonimbus clouds with level 3 to 4 intensity echoes. The airplane was most likely not equipped with any airborne weather detection and avoidance systems. The main wreckage was never located; however, some personal items and a small amount of debris from the airplane were found floating on the surface of the water near the last recorded radar return.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot’s continued flight into known adverse weather conditions.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/30/2008
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1818
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City Homosassa Spgs.
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 34487
Event Date Year 2008
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 284700N
Event Location Longitude 0825400W
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 45
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 22
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1820 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 311
Weather Observation Facility ID KVDF
Elevation of weather observation facility 22
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 45
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 600
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.71
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 26464
NTSB Notification Source FAA Southern Region ROC
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 9 2010 3:19PM
User who most recently changed record broda
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N945T
NTSB Number ERA09FA074
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model 35-B33
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number CD-704
Certified Max Gross Weight 3000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 10 2008 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 7992
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type Unknown
Aircraft Owner Name Eagle Squadron Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5650 Breckenridge Park Dr STE 110
Aircraft Owner City Tampa
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33610-4232
Operator is an individual? Yes
Operator Name Darien G Peckham
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Tampa
Operator State FL
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 33647
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code TLH
Departure City Tallahassee
Departure State FL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1740
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code VDF
Destination City Tampa
Destination State FL
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 7 2010 11:37AM
User who most recently changed record kenj
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --