Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Weston, Florida 33332
Sunday, November 8, 2009 18:40 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated pilot departed at night for an intended flight over the Everglades, to a destination airport north of the departure airport. After takeoff, while flying in a northerly direction over an area with no ground reference lights other than from vehicles on an east/west highway, the airplane climbed to a maximum altitude of 2,800 feet, then began descending at a rate of 3,000 feet-per-minute and flew over the highway. The airplane then deviated slightly to the right at the end of the flight, and impacted into the Everglades.
The pilot had only accumulated 2.8 hours of total night experience, all of which was flown in the same night, 8 months prior to the accident.
Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine, and engine accessories revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. Total electrical failure was eliminated because transponder returns were noted from the beginning of the flight to within 0.3 nautical miles of the crash site. Additionally, light bulb filament stretching consistent with electrical power at impact was noted for the cockpit overhead light bulb.
Although the pilot had a history of coronary artery disease and had a cardiac catheterization and stent placement 2 years prior to the accident, the autopsy did not reveal any evidence of the presence of an incapacitating medical event during the accident flight. Additionally, the investigation revealed no evidence of the pilot suffering from fatigue or sleep apnea.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight's descent for undetermined reasons, resulting in the in-flight collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/8/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1840 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Weston |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33332 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 260907N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804312W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 99 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FLL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 31 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29293 |
| 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 | Dec 22 2011 10:18AM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4139X |
| NTSB Number | ERA10FA052 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AERO COMMANDER |
| Aircraft Model | 100 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 239 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2250 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 74 |
| Airframe Hours | 2615 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VELAZQUEZ EDMUNDO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | OVIEDO |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32765-7060 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | VELAZQUEZ EDMUNDO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | OVIEDO |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32765-7060 |
| 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 | TMB |
| Departure City | Miami |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1818 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OCF |
| Destination City | Ocala |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 23 2011 12:44PM |
| 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 | -- |