Accident Overview
On July 18, 2009, shortly after 2315 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 152 (registration N5518P) was lost at sea in the vicinity of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The private pilot, a 52-year-old medical doctor, was fatally injured. The flight was a personal trip from Mercedita Airport (TJPS) in Ponce to Antonio Juarbe Pol Airport (TJAB) in Arecibo, conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed, and night visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Flight History
According to a flight instructor, the pilot had departed Arecibo for Ponce at 1745 to pick up flu vaccine. The aircraft had 17 gallons of fuel, approximately 3 hours of endurance. The pilot arrived in Ponce and, due to deteriorating weather, delayed his return. Multiple phone calls between the pilot and flight instructor occurred from 1900 to 2300. The pilot declined offers of ground pickup, planning to fly west along the coast via Mayagüez and Aguadilla. He departed around 2315. After attempts to contact him failed, authorities were alerted at about 0100 on July 19. An Alert Notice was issued. On July 20, the pilot's body was found near the mouth of the Río Inabón, south of the departure airport. A wheel from the aircraft was also recovered several days later.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate issued on June 3, 2009, with about 162 total flight hours. He purchased the aircraft on July 9, 2009. The aircraft's latest annual inspection was completed on November 20, 2008, when an overhauled engine was installed. Mercedita Airport has a single runway (12/30) measuring 6,904 feet by 150 feet, with an elevation of 29 feet above mean sea level.
Weather and Environmental Conditions
Weather recorded at Ponce at 2258 included few clouds at 3,000 feet, visibility 8 statute miles, and wind from 070 degrees true at 5 knots. The moon was approximately 20% illuminated. No low-level radar coverage existed in the area, and no known radio transmissions from the aircraft were received.
Postmortem and Toxicology Findings
A postmortem examination on July 21 reported the cause of death as "severo trauma corporal" (severe body trauma). The autopsy noted multiple pelvic fractures and only 8 ml of urine in the bladder. Local toxicology testing found 0.03 percent alcohol in urine, but no alcohol in central blood. Subsequent testing at the FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team detected 2.642 µg/ml of acetaminophen in the pilot's blood, and the presence of ethanol, N-butanol, and N-propanol in multiple fluid and tissue samples, with putrefaction noted.
Spatial Disorientation Information
The FAA's "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge" (FAA-H-8083-25) defines spatial disorientation as the lack of orientation regarding the position, attitude, or movement of the airplane in space. It states that under normal flight conditions, visual reference helps the inner ear identify movements; when visual contact with the horizon is lost, the vestibular system becomes unreliable. The handbook further notes that unless a pilot has extensive instrument training, flight in reduced visibility or at night without a visible horizon should be avoided.