What happened
The private pilot had been cleared for an instrument landing system approach to runway 27R. While maintaining the localizer course at an altitude of 1,600 feet, air traffic control observed the aircraft drifting north of the designated path and executing a right turn toward the east. The controller queried the pilot regarding his current heading, to which the pilot responded that he was heading east, indicating this was his intended direction.
Subsequently, the flight was instructed to make a turn to avoid a head-on conflict with another aircraft on approach. Following this instruction, the pilot failed to acknowledge any further radio transmissions from air traffic control. Shortly after losing radio contact, the aircraft disappeared from radar coverage and impacted the Atlantic Ocean in approximately 800 feet of water.
The pilot was newly rated for multi-engine operations but had previously been advised by his certified flight instructor not to conduct night instrument flight rules operations or fly into heavy instrument meteorological conditions until he gained more experience. The weather conditions at the time were night IFR, characterized by rain, heavy turbulence, and thunderstorms in the area. Neither the aircraft nor any occupants were recovered from the ocean.