History of Flight
The accident occurred on March 23, 2020, at 2103 eastern daylight time. The Maule MT-7-235, registration N899ZZ, was destroyed after impacting the Atlantic Ocean near Swansboro, North Carolina. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot added approximately 40 gallons of 100LL fuel at Orangeburg Municipal Airport (OGB) at 1820. Departure from OGB occurred at 1835. The airplane landed at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport-Faison Field (LRO) at 1905. The pilot then filed an IFR flight plan and departed for Michael J. Smith Field Airport (MRH) at 1950, picking up the passenger during the stopover.
After departing LRO, the pilot communicated with ATC. Radar data showed the airplane climbing to 5,000 ft msl and proceeding directly toward MRH. The route primarily overlaid the Atlantic Ocean. At about 2102, the flight track recorded a right turn to the southeast, followed by a rapidly descending right spiral. Radar contact was lost at 2103:31, with the last data point indicating 925 ft msl, 108 knots groundspeed, and a 131° track.
ATC communications from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point indicated routine exchanges until radar loss. At about 2048, the pilot checked in at 5,000 ft, reported having the weather at MRH, and requested the RNAV 26 approach. He was instructed to fly direct to waypoint CIGOR, which he acknowledged. No further transmissions were received. ATC made multiple attempts to contact the pilot afterward without success.
The US Coast Guard was notified around 2130 of a missing airplane. At 2335, small debris and personal effects were found on the ocean surface about 1.55 nm southeast of the last radar point. Several days later, a private diving company located the main wreckage on the ocean floor approximately 0.30 nm from the last radar point.
Personnel Information
The pilot's electronic logbook showed 591 total flight hours, with 450 hours in the accident airplane. Instrument time totaled 91 hours, including 49 hours in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), of which 15.8 hours were logged in the preceding 90 days. The pilot logged 11 instrument approaches in the prior 6 months and 86 hours of night flying, with 21 hours in the previous 90 days.
Aircraft Information
Maintenance records were not recovered. An airframe and powerplant mechanic reported completing an annual inspection in August 2019, providing a billing invoice but not a copy of the endorsement. During the inspection, the horizon attitude indicator was replaced with a "Century" instrument because the pilot had reported the old unit "was not acting correctly." The mechanic stated that only the brake pads were replaced otherwise and considered the airplane in "excellent condition."
Meteorological Information
An NTSB weather study indicated that an overcast cloud layer likely existed near the accident site and along the flight path. The accident occurred over an hour after civil twilight ended, and the moon had set. The nearest weather station, Bogue Field Marine Corps Auxiliary Field (NJM) 16 miles north, reported at 2057: wind 220° at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles or greater, overcast ceiling at 1,700 ft agl, temperature 16°C, dew point 13°C, altimeter 30.12 inHg. A USCG aircraft near the debris at about 2345 observed an overcast ceiling of 1,400 ft, visibility 10 miles, wind 290° at 10 knots, and wave height 4 ft. The pilot had requested a standard weather briefing through a third-party provider at 1822, which included information about possible overcast ceilings along the route and at the destination.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Photographs taken by a diver showed fragments of the fuselage, wing, and empennage in a concentrated area. The engine and propeller were found about 10 ft from the main wreckage. The engine had separated from the firewall, and the propeller separated from the engine, exhibiting s-bending and torsional twisting. No engine or airframe components were recovered by the investigation's conclusion.
Additional Information
The report includes general information on spatial disorientation from FAA publications, defining it as a loss of proper bearings or mental confusion regarding position relative to the earth. Factors such as changes in acceleration, flight in IMC, and unperceived attitude changes are noted. The FAA's Airplane Flying Handbook describes how the vestibular sense can confuse pilots, leading to false sensations and spatial disorientation.