Accident Summary
On May 24, 2019, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 560, registration N832R, was destroyed when it struck the Atlantic Ocean. The airplane was operated by Jet Sales LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The airline transport pilot was not found and is presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN), Alton, Illinois, around 1430, and was en route to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Day visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
The airplane had been purchased by the owner two days before the accident and had completed a progressive inspection on May 22, 2019. The owner hired the pilot to fly the aircraft to FXE for avionics work. The owner tracked the flight via an online service and was notified by the avionics shop that the airplane had not arrived. Reviewing the flight track, he discovered the airplane overflew FXE at 39,000 feet mean sea level (FL390) and was heading toward the Atlantic Ocean.
According to Federal Aviation Administration data, the pilot established communications with Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), reported level at FL390, and noted smooth air. Thirteen minutes later, the controller instructed the pilot to contact Jacksonville ARTCC, but the pilot did not respond. Multiple attempts to contact the pilot on various frequencies were unsuccessful. Controllers continued radar monitoring as the airplane traversed Jacksonville and Miami ARTCC airspace without radio contact.
The US Air Force dispatched two interceptor aircraft. As they approached the accident airplane, they observed a vapor or contrail emanating from the right engine. The accident airplane decelerated to about 100 knots as the interceptors passed it; they could not see the cockpit windows or the aircraft's interior. The accident airplane then lost total engine power, descended, and impacted the Atlantic Ocean approximately 310 statute miles east of FXE. The US Coast Guard initiated a search, but it was suspended on May 25, 2019. Neither the pilot nor the airplane were recovered.
Aircraft and Maintenance
The Cessna 560 was manufactured in 2001 and powered by two Pratt & Whitney 535A engines. It completed a Phase 1-4 progressive inspection on May 22, 2019, with total airframe and engine time of 4,744.6 hours at that time. All maintenance logs were onboard during the accident flight. The most recent inspection addressed two discrepancies related to the environmental system: the air cycle machine coalescer filter was replaced and the main entrance door secondary seal was replaced. Post-maintenance operational checks were satisfactory.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for single- and multi-engine land aircraft, as well as a type rating for the Cessna 560. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on June 26, 2018. He reported 9,016 total hours of flight experience. According to the pilot's wife, he was not taking any medications and had been sleeping well.