Accident Overview
A U.S. Customs Service (USCS) aircraft participating in a training mission impacted the water in Biscayne Bay during a dark night. The aircraft was returning to its departure airport when it struck the water. No warning was issued to the pilot by other flight crews or by the Domestic Air Interdiction Coordination Center facility that was tracking the airplane.
Mission Briefings
The accident pilot received mission briefings for two planned training exercises. He was scheduled to fly a USCS aircraft acting as a target. During these briefings, there was no mention of any minimum altitude floor. USCS did not have regulations specifying the lowest altitude to be flown during a training exercise.
Flight Details
The first flight of the training mission was uneventful and lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. The second flight was conducted using the same airplane. While returning to the departure airport over Biscayne Bay, the airplane flew into the water.
Post-Accident Examination
The aircraft was recovered and examined. Inspections of the flight controls, engine, engine systems, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, pilot's restraint, and pitot static system revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. A notable finding was that the aircraft's position lights were not illuminated at the time of the accident, contrary to USCS procedures.
Life Raft Deployment
A USCS helicopter hovering in the area dropped a life raft. The raft began to inflate during its descent. However, the inflation bottle separated after impact with the water, preventing complete inflation of the raft.