Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Southwest Florida Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Myers, Florida 33913
Sunday, April 12, 2009 14:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after takeoff during the incident flight, the pilot had an abnormal heart rhythm and was incapacitated. The passenger took control of the airplane and with assistance from several FAA air traffic control personnel, was provided information concerning operation of the airplane and was vectored to a nearby airport where he landed uneventfully. The pilot had a history, known to the FAA, of a previous heart attack and known coronary artery disease, treated with angioplasty and stent placement. He underwent comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation following this treatment, including a stress test with nuclear medicine imaging and a repeat cardiac catheterization. This testing revealed evidence of the previous heart attack, but no other areas of the heart with poor blood flow, and good heart function. On the basis of these studies, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cardiology consultant indicated that the pilot was “qualified for Special Issuance Limited 2nd Class certification,” and the pilot subsequently received an Authorization for such certification. The pilot was noted to have an abnormal heart rhythm during resuscitation efforts and died. The autopsy report noted coronary artery disease essentially identical to the pilot’s cardiac catheterization findings, and there was no noted evidence of sudden clot formation. The autopsy report noted a thickening of the main heart chamber, which, in combination with the pilot’s coronary artery disease, would have increased the risk for sudden cardiac death in this pilot. The cardiovascular testing performed on the pilot prior to his most recent medical certification did not reveal any evidence of this thickening.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s abnormal heart rhythm resulting in incapacitation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 4/12/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1405 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Fort Myers |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33913 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 263210N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814519W |
| Event Location Airport | Southwest Florida Int'l |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RSW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 30 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RSW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 30 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26652 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern C-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 13 2010 11:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N559DW |
| NTSB Number | ERA09IA240 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | B200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | BB-1036 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 |
| 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 | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 30 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6792 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WHITE EQUIPMENT LEASING LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 104 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ARCHIBALD |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 71218-0104 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | WHITE EQUIPMENT LEASING LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 104 |
| Operator City | ARCHIBALD |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 71218-0104 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MKY |
| Departure City | Marco Island |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | JAN |
| Destination City | Jackson |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2010 11:04AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 06 |
| Runway Length | 12000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |