What happened
On August 1, 2011, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N4533R, departed Jack Edwards Airport (JKA) in Gulf Shores, Alabama, at approximately 0714 central daylight time. The flight was a personal trip for which no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot had arranged a flight review with a certified flight instructor (CFI) for that morning. Before the flight, the pilot requested that the aircraft's fuel tanks be completely filled. Upon arriving at the fixed base operator, the pilot requested that the flight instructor be removed from the reservation, stating he did not want the instructor to be held responsible in the event of an accident. The pilot then departed the airport alone on runway 09.
Initially, the CFI believed the pilot was performing touch-and-go landings to prepare for the upcoming review. However, after approximately 10 minutes, the instructor attempted to contact the pilot via VHF radio, but received no response.
Radar data tracked the aircraft as it flew northwest, performing several orbits over a residential area, before turning south over the Gulf of Mexico. The aircraft climbed to a maximum altitude of 13,100 feet mean sea level (msl) and later descended to 10,900 feet msl. At this altitude, the aircraft was located over the Gulf of Mexico. The aircraft was lost from radar at 1032:47.
The investigation
An Air Traffic Radar and Meteorology Study utilized 3-D modeling of weather radar returns. The modeling indicated that at the aircraft's last known position, the flight had penetrated radar returns consistent with light to moderate turbulence, precipitation, updrafts, and downdrafts.
No wreckage, debris, or the pilot's body were ever recovered. A search conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico yielded no results.
Findings
- The pilot was not instrument-rated.
- The aircraft's last known position coincided with convective activity.
- The pilot did not establish contact with any air traffic control facility during the flight.