History of Flight
On February 14, 2013, about 1630 eastern standard time, a Cessna 310H, N104DR, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain while maneuvering near Yeehaw Junction, Florida. The private pilot, a pilot-rated passenger, and a second passenger were fatally injured. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Sebastian Municipal Airport (X26), Sebastian, Florida, about 1600, destined for Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW), Bartow, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Earlier that day, the airplane flew uneventfully from Nassau, Bahamas, to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), West Palm Beach, Florida, arriving about 1200. After clearing U.S. Customs, the pilot purchased 20 gallons of aviation gasoline at 1338.
Around 1455, the pilot-rated passenger contacted Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB) air traffic control tower, stating he was "scud running up the coast" at 500 feet to X26. The controller approved the transition and provided the altimeter setting. No further communications were received from the accident airplane by VRB tower.
The airport manager at X26 reported that the airplane landed about 1515 and remained parked on the ramp for approximately 45 minutes; the occupants stayed inside. It departed about 1600 flying northwest.
The pilot's wife stated that he called her from X26. He had intended to clear U.S. Customs at Saint Lucie County International Airport (FPR) but diverted to PBI due to weather. She told him the weather was bad in Winter Haven, Florida—rainy and dark—and believed he would stay overnight at X26.
At 1620, the pilot-rated passenger contacted Orlando Approach, reporting inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and requesting assistance. The controller instructed him to set the transponder to 0311. The passenger then asked about cloud tops and if they could climb out. The controller replied she needed the transponder code to locate him and asked for his position; no further communications were received. The controller transmitted that VRB was 8 miles east of their position. No communications were received by Miami Center.
Radar data showed the first target with transponder code 0311 at 16:22:13 at 8,900 feet mean sea level (msl), about 10 miles southwest of X26. The airplane then completed three left circuits, descending to 1,800 feet at 16:24:14. It then made a right circuit, descending to 900 feet, proceeding southwest and descending to 200 feet at 16:27:07. During the last three minutes, it traveled southwest between 100 and 200 feet msl. The final target was at 16:29:56, while in a left circuit at 200 feet, about 1/8 mile southwest of the accident site.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 67, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, and multiengine land, but no instrument rating. He held a third-class medical certificate issued August 7, 2011, reporting 375 total flight hours. His logbook was not recovered. He received his multiengine rating on September 20, 2011, reporting 391 total hours, with 54 hours in a Cessna 310H. He noted 3.3 hours of instrument experience; it was unspecified if actual or simulated.
The pilot-rated passenger, aged 65, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, rotorcraft helicopter, instrument helicopter, and instrument airplane, but no multiengine rating. His most recent third-class medical was issued July 26, 2012, reporting 4,515 total hours. His wife reported he was not instrument current.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, low-wing, retractable tricycle-gear airplane, serial number 310H0021, was manufactured in 1962. It was powered by two Continental Motors IO-470D, 260-horsepower engines, each with a Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed August 1, 2012, at which time total airframe hours were 5,662.1; engines had accumulated 912.7 hours since factory remanufacture.
Meteorological Information
At 0822, the pilot-rated passenger contacted flight service, identifying himself as copilot. He inquired about a flight plan and the forecast from FPR to BOW for 1500. The briefer provided an outlook briefing stating a cold front was moving south, remaining over central Florida for the next 12 hours, with scattered light rain showers and a chance of widely scattered thunderstorms. The passenger then filed a VFR flight plan from Nassau to FPR.
At 1232, he called again, planning VFR from PBI to BOW but concerned about the cold front. The briefing included adverse weather with rain, isolated embedded thunderstorms, and moderate to heavy precipitation. The briefer noted thunderstorms over the Gulf moving east at 15 knots merging with existing storms. The passenger said he was looking at weather radar. The briefer added that moderate to heavy precipitation would create low ceilings and visibility, and VFR flight was not recommended. The system was forecast to become stationary overnight.
At 1331, he requested current ceilings at Okeechobee Country Airport (OBE) and BOW. OBE was low IFR with an overcast ceiling at 400 feet and visibility 5 miles. BOW was marginal VFR with an overcast ceiling at 4,400 feet and visibility 5 miles in light rain. The area forecast included broken ceilings at 3,000-4,000 feet with widely scattered thunderstorms and moderate precipitation, possible severe. The passenger remarked he was looking at weather radar to figure out how to "scud run" home to BOW, noting thunderstorms appeared to be breaking up. The briefer acknowledged but said more storms were moving in from Fort Myers. The passenger concluded he would watch the radar longer.
VRB, located 16 miles east of the accident site, recorded at 1627: wind from 360 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast ceiling at 1,500 feet, temperature 18°C, dew point 16°C, altimeter 29.96 inHg. Recordings at 1653 and 1659 included rain and heavy rain, respectively.
Radar overlay showed the accident site was in an area of moderate precipitation. A pilot report from an Airbus A320 at 1557, 20 miles northeast of Naples at 11,000 feet, included light-to-moderate turbulence with heavy rain and a remark "would not recommend anyone flying this route."
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located upright in a densely wooded swamp with water depths up to 5 feet. Airboats could not access the wreckage; victims were recovered by emergency responders using U.S. Coast Guard helicopters. Aerial photographs by the Indian River County Sheriff Department showed the airplane remained intact except for the left wing tip fuel tank and empennage, located near the main wreckage. No debris path through trees was observed.
About four weeks later, an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission cut through vegetation with an airboat to recover personal effects. The site was about 1.5 miles from the nearest road, and terrain did not allow ground equipment access.
The airplane's insurance carrier was contacted about aerial recovery, but the pilot was not a named insured and did not meet flight experience requirements. The carrier did not recover the wreckage, and as of the report's publication, the wreckage had not been recovered for examination.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies of the pilot and pilot-rated passenger were performed by the State of Florida District 19 Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death for both was multiple blunt trauma injuries. Toxicological testing detected 0.272 mg/L of diphenhydramine in the pilot's blood. The FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory also found cetirizine and diphenhydramine in urine and blood. For the pilot-rated passenger, amlodipine (not in blood), ibuprofen, and naproxen were detected in urine.