History of Flight
On September 22, 2012, at approximately 0150 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N21750, was substantially damaged after colliding with trees and terrain near Land O'Lakes, Florida. The aircraft was on a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated at Pensacola, Florida, about 2144 central daylight time on September 21, 2012, with a destination of Tampa Executive Airport (VDF), Tampa, Florida.
According to air traffic control (ATC) records, at 0130 the pilot contacted Tampa Approach Control inbound to VDF at 7,500 feet, about 52 nautical miles north-northwest. At 0134, the pilot acknowledged having the Tampa weather and was cleared for a visual flight rules descent at his discretion. Around 0149, Tampa Approach personnel noticed the airplane had descended below 1,000 feet, 15 nautical miles northwest of VDF, and began calling the pilot without response. Radar contact was lost as the airplane continued descending. A police helicopter dispatched to the area located the wreckage at approximately 0243. No witnesses to the accident were identified.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an FAA private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He reported 13,480 total flight hours on his most recent FAA third-class medical application dated August 22, 2011. His personal flight logbook was not recovered. The pilot also served as a captain for Edelweiss Air in Zurich, Switzerland, holding a Swiss airline transport pilot certificate with type ratings in the Airbus A320 and A330.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Cessna 172S, serial number 172S9641, powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine rated at 180 horsepower. It was registered to The Connie III Skyhawk LLC of Tampa, Florida. The co-owner reported that the pilot was flying the aircraft from Boulder, Colorado, to Tampa after a recent purchase. Aircraft logbooks were consumed in the post-crash fire, but electronic copies of pertinent entries were provided. The last annual inspection on the airframe and engine was performed on March 5, 2012, at a total aircraft time of 2,937.1 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 0153 surface observation at Tampa International Airport reported calm wind, visibility 10 miles or better, few clouds at 1,500 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet and 25,000 feet, temperature 23°C, dew point 21°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.99 inches of mercury. Moonrise on September 21 occurred at 1308 and moonset at 2357, with the next moonrise after the accident at 1406 on September 22.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was on private pasture land about 17 nautical miles north-northwest of VDF. The main wreckage came to rest inverted on a heading of 140 degrees. The cockpit and cabin were consumed in a post-crash fire. The wreckage path from initial tree impact to final resting place was about 400 feet long on a 160-degree heading, with the first ground impact about 250 feet from the main wreckage.
The left wing separated into two sections; the outboard section was found on the right side of the wreckage path, approximately 200 feet from the main wreckage. The left wing strut separated from both wing and fuselage and was about 150 feet away. The right wing outboard section was near the initial tree impact. The empennage remained attached, with the rudder and horizontal stabilizers largely intact. The wing flaps were retracted. Control cable continuity was established to the rudder and elevators, with overload separations noted on aileron and flap cables. The engine remained attached to the firewall and sustained thermal damage. Examination of the engine revealed no pre-impact anomalies; fuel was present, spark was produced, and compression was observed on all cylinders. The propeller remained attached.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination at the Florida District Six Medical Examiner’s Office on September 22, 2012, listed the cause of death as blunt trauma with thermal injuries as contributory; the manner was accident. Forensic toxicology testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or drugs in the specimens.
Itinerary Review
Review of the pilot’s credit card records, airline records, and interviews documented his activities over the nine days preceding the accident. The pilot, based in Central European Time, had flown as a crew member from Zurich to Santo Domingo on September 13, then as a passenger to Tampa on September 14. He stayed with a friend, often falling asleep during conversations. On September 16, he returned to Santo Domingo via commercial flights, then deadheaded to Cuba on September 17. After completing his work trip, he flew from Varadero to Cancun and then to Zurich, arriving September 19. Later that day, he flew as a passenger to Newark, then to Denver on September 20, where he purchased the accident airplane. He flew it to Woodward, Oklahoma, arriving that evening. On September 21, he flew to Minden, Louisiana, then to Pensacola, where he texted that the airplane flew well and he would continue to Tampa that night. He departed Pensacola at 2144 local time.