Weather Advisory
During the flight, the pilot contacted Vero Beach Tower and requested the weather. The controller advised that conditions at Vero Beach and Fort Pierce, Florida, were VFR, but there was weather north of Vero Beach. A convective SIGMET was in effect, and thunderstorms were present in the area. The pilot acknowledged the transmission and indicated he was in the area of the Valkaria Airport.
Flight Progress
Shortly after the weather advisory, the pilot reported that he had overflown the Valkaria Airport and would proceed south to Vero Beach. About four minutes later, he advised that he was north of Vero Beach in IFR weather conditions and that he was going to reverse course and return to Valkaria. The pilot's last radio transmission was made at 1820 EDT.
Wreckage Examination
The next morning, aircraft wreckage was found in the same vicinity where the plane had impacted in the Intercoastal Waterway. Examination of the wreckage revealed that it had crashed in a near inverted, nose down, left wing low attitude. The examination found no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure. Intense thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy showers were reported in the area.