Incident Details
A student pilot contacted the International Flight Service Station (IFSS) in Miami, Florida, and filed an international flight plan to the Bahamas. The pilot did not request a weather briefing, and none was provided. Subsequently, the pilot contacted air traffic controllers, stating that he was in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and requested assistance. Controllers attempted to locate the aircraft on radar. By the time they found the aircraft and began to assist, the aircraft disappeared from radar over the Atlantic Ocean. No further communications were received.
Weather and Flight Plan
A weather observation was recorded at 1750 Eastern Standard Time at West Palm Beach Airport. No record of any flight time was located for the flight.
Background
Personnel at Lantana Airport stated that they believed the student's instructor pilot, a Bahamian citizen, had endorsed the student pilot certificate for flights to and from West End, Bahamas.