History of Flight
On November 30, 2008, about 1818 eastern standard time, a Beech 35-B33, registration N945T, operated by an individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was lost from radar over the Gulf of Mexico near Homosassa Springs, Florida. The flight was conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR) from Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH) to Vandenberg Airport (VDF) in Tampa, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Earlier that day, a person identifying himself as the pilot of N945T contacted the St. Petersburg Flight Service Station at 0852, 1308, and 1701. During each call, he requested an abbreviated weather briefing and was informed of embedded thunderstorms and convective activity along the route, as well as a tornado watch for central and southern Florida. The IFR flight plan takeoff time was amended three times before actual departure. On the final call, the briefer advised, "...you really want to wait a little while longer until [the weather] starts to clear up just a little bit more."
At 1723, the pilot contacted TLH ground control, received an IFR clearance to VDF and taxi instructions to runway 36. At 1730, N945T was cleared for takeoff. At 1731, the flight was instructed to contact Tallahassee Departure, and remained in contact until 1744. At 1745, the flight was handed off to Jacksonville Center (ZJX). N945T advised ZJX they were at 5,000 feet mean sea level. ZJX stated "radar contact" and provided information on moderate and heavy precipitation along the route for the next 100 miles.
The pilot requested deviation for "any holes" left or right of the flight path. ZJX informed him that moderate to heavy precipitation extended left and right for 200 miles. About 10 minutes after initial contact, N945T asked, "How much further does it look for us?" and reported "Getting bumped around pretty bad here." ZJX advised they were in moderate precipitation for the next 30 miles and briefed expectations. About five minutes later, ZJX informed N945T they were in a patch with no precipitation and briefed further, but N945T did not acknowledge. No further transmissions were received. Approximately 30 seconds later, radar contact was lost.
Recorded radar data from FAA Tampa Approach Control showed at 1816:48 the flight was at 5,000 feet on a south-southeasterly heading. At 1816:52, the aircraft descended to 4,900 feet, continuing on the same heading until 1817:20. At 1817:25, it was at 4,600 feet on a southerly heading. At 1817:29, at 4,300 feet on a southwesterly heading. At 1817:34, at 3,800 feet on a northwesterly heading. No further radar data was recorded.
Family members and local authorities indicated the pilot and passenger were returning to their home base at VDF from Tallahassee. On the morning of December 1, 2008, the United States Coast Guard located debris matching the airplane's colors and personal effects from the occupants several miles offshore from Homosassa Bay, Florida, near the last radar return. The bodies of the pilot and passenger were also recovered.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 35, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on May 31, 2007, with no limitations. He reported 950 total flight hours at that time. A review of his electronic flight logbook showed a total of 1,058 flight hours as of October 29, 2009. From November 30, 2007 to October 26, 2008, he logged 18.7 hours of actual instrument time. He received his instrument rating on September 27, 2001.
The passenger, age 28, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on October 23, 2006, with no limitations. He had documented 130 total flight hours at that time.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a Beechcraft 35-B33 Debonair, serial number CD-704, manufactured in 1963. It was a four-seat low-wing airplane with retractable tricycle landing gear, equipped and certified for IFR flight. It was powered by a six-cylinder Continental IO-550 series engine producing 300 horsepower. The last annual inspection was performed on November 10, 2008, at a total airframe time of approximately 7,792 hours. No evidence was found that the airplane was equipped with any airborne weather detection and avoidance systems.
Meteorological Information
A Meteorological Study by the NTSB Operational Factors Division indicated that a cold front extended along the flight path between Tallahassee and Tampa, with a squall line east of the accident site. The NWS Radar Summary Chart at 1819 EST depicted an extensive area of light rain ahead of the cold front with a narrow band of strong to intense echoes near the location where the flight was lost. Echo tops ranged from 18,000 to 30,000 feet. Satellite imagery showed nimbostratus to embedded cumulonimbus clouds with level 3 to 4 intensity echoes at the accident site. Sounding data indicated winds from the west at 50 knots at 5,000 feet, with a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. An Airmen's Meteorological Information advisory for occasional moderate turbulence below 12,000 feet was in effect.
Wreckage and Impact
Recovered items included sections of cabin seats, cabin floor, a right main landing gear assembly, and debris matching the airplane's colors, along with personal effects belonging to the occupants. The remaining wreckage was not located.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot's and passenger's remains were recovered on December 8 and December 18, 2008, respectively. The District Five Medical Examiner Office in Leesburg, Florida, conducted postmortem examinations. The cause of death for both was listed as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing was negative for alcohol and drugs.