Incident Overview
During descent on an IFR flight, the pilot became incapacitated. The non-rated passenger then made a transmission: 'Can anybody hear me?' followed by '... He went to sleep on me.' Radar data indicated that N97PA subsequently flew erratic headings and altitudes until turning to a southeasterly heading toward the ocean.
Communications and Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control attempted to direct a turn back toward land, but these attempts were unsuccessful. The passenger's transmissions indicated the pilot's lack of responsiveness, but no further details of the communications are available from the source.
Flight Path and Loss of Contact
Radar contact was lost 4 miles from the coastline over the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft's final heading was toward the open ocean, and no further radar returns were observed.
Recovery Efforts
The Coast Guard recovered an airplane seat and two sections of landing gear. Positive identification of the pilot and passenger was not possible from the recovered items.
Pilot Medical Background
The pilot had received his Class II medical certificate on the day of the accident. A search of his medical record revealed a slightly abnormal ECG in 1988, which occurred on an application for a Class I medical certificate. All subsequent applications for FAA medical certificates were for Class II certificates, which do not require ECG testing.