Flight History
On December 8, 2017, about 1115 eastern standard time, a Beech C90, N19LW, was destroyed when it impacted the waters of Lake Harney near Geneva, Florida. The flight instructor, commercial pilot receiving instruction, and commercial pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Planemarketing LLC and operated by L3 Airline Academy as a Part 91 instructional flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) at about 0753.
The chief flight instructor reported that the accident flight was the students' first flight in the Beech C90 as part of the High-Performance Aircraft course. The flight initially flew to Baldwin County Airport (MLJ) in Georgia before returning to Sanford, likely due to weather.
Air traffic control and radar data revealed that after returning to SFB, the flight conducted a practice instrument approach to runway 9. The pilot then contacted approach control, requesting vectors for an ILS approach. Between 1603 and 1613, the controller provided vectors and altitude instructions. At 1613:07, the airplane descended from 1,600 ft while turning, triggering low altitude alerts. The pilot acknowledged but subsequent radar returns showed the airplane at varying altitudes near the accident site. No further radio communication was received.
A witness on Lake Harney reported hearing a low-flying airplane, then seeing it below the cloud ceiling at 250–300 ft above ground level, followed by a rapid climb and a vertical dive into the lake.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor, age 56, held an airline transport pilot certificate with multi-engine land and flight instructor certificates. He reported 4,800 total hours, with 357 hours in the Beech C90. He was also a company check pilot.
The pilot receiving instruction, age 23, held a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings. He had 243 total hours.
The pilot-rated passenger was also a commercial pilot.
Aircraft Information
The Beech C90, serial number LJ-991, was a seven-seat, low-wing, twin-engine airplane manufactured in 1981. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 engines, each rated at 550 shaft horsepower. The most recent phase inspection was completed on October 13, 2017, at 10,571.2 hours total time.
Meteorological Conditions
At 1053, the SFB automated weather station reported wind 170° at 8 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, broken clouds at 800 ft, overcast at 1,600 ft, temperature 21°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter 29.89 inHg. The National Weather Service forecast indicated similar conditions. An AIRMET Sierra for IFR conditions was current for the area.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane impacted the northwestern shoreline of Lake Harney in about 10 ft of water. Wreckage was spread over a 200-square-ft area along the bottom. Recovery took 8 days with a diver; visibility was about 5 inches. Both engines were found 15 ft under the lake floor. The fuselage was severely fragmented, with accordion-like compression damage to both wings. The empennage separated, and both engines separated from the airframe. Propeller damage was consistent with rotation under power. Examination found no pre-impact engine anomalies.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies determined the cause of death for all three occupants as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing of the flight instructor identified oxycodone and oxymorphone in liver tissue, and ethanol in muscle and lung. For the pilot receiving instruction, ethanol was found in lung but not muscle; for the passenger, ethanol was found in brain. Given the distribution, the ethanol was likely from postmortem production. The instructor's wife reported he had back issues and took prescription ibuprofen but could not recall prescriptions for oxycodone or oxymorphone.
Additional Information
The FAA publication "Medical Facts for Pilots" discusses spatial disorientation, including the graveyard spiral illusion, which can occur under conditions of unreliable visual references. The operator reported that the flight school had a drug testing program but it was not actively used unless an incident warranted.