Disappearance
On March 17, 2022, about 1345 eastern daylight time, an experimental, light sport Czech Sport Aircraft Piper Sport airplane, registration N811PS, was lost from radar and presumed destroyed approximately 15 nautical miles west of Everglades National Park, Florida. The pilot has not been located and is presumed fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal operation.
Flight Track Analysis
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight track data showed that the airplane departed The Florida Keys Marathon International Airport (MTH) at about 1312. It climbed to a cruise altitude of approximately 1,450 ft mean sea level (msl) and flew northwest toward Naples Municipal Airport (APF). The airplane maintained altitude, a 336° heading, and a groundspeed of 125 knots until 1323, when it descended and gradually increased airspeed. At 1324, the track indicated a rapid climb from 1,200 ft msl to 1,800 ft msl while slowing to 74 knots groundspeed. It then resumed its previous heading and groundspeed at about 1,450 ft msl until 1327, when a series of erratic heading, altitude, and groundspeed excursions began.
The airplane briefly climbed before descending, accelerating, and completing a 240° turn to the east. During the turn, altitude varied between 1,600 ft msl and 800 ft msl, and groundspeed ranged from 83 to 143 knots. The airplane then continued in a wide, arcing left turn until it intercepted its original course. After reestablishing its approximate course, it assumed a cruise profile at about 800 ft msl and 100 knots groundspeed around 1331.
Altitudes varied slightly between 800 and 900 ft msl, and groundspeed remained about 100 knots until 1343:38, when the track ended on a 336° heading at 825 ft msl and 100 knots groundspeed. No further targets were identified. Air traffic control (ATC) records revealed that the airplane never established communication with any ATC facilities after departure.
Wreckage and Aircraft Information
Airplane wreckage and paperwork associated with the airplane and pilot were recovered from the ocean surface by the U.S. Park Service. The airplane was manufactured in 2010. According to the pilot’s family, both the airplane maintenance logs and the pilot’s logbook were likely on board. Invoices from an aircraft maintenance facility indicated three consecutive “annual condition inspections,” with the most recent completed January 19, 2022, at 569.2 total airplane hours. The invoices showed that in the two years before this inspection, the airplane had flown 31.0 and 24.7 hours, respectively.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued May 20, 2014, at which time he reported 1,350 total hours of flight experience. He completed the BasicMed course on August 30, 2017.
Previous Flight Events
Flight track data from the earlier flight from APF to MTH on the same day revealed similar erratic altitude, heading, and speed excursions. The data indicated that the pilot flew a left downwind leg for landing on runway 07 at MTH at 200 ft msl. At a point consistent with a left base leg, the airplane completed a 180° turn and flew a right downwind for runway 25 at 200 ft msl, landing opposite the direction of other landing traffic.
Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that the accident airplane landed on runway 25 when a business jet was on short final for landing on runway 07. The crew of the business jet stated that the accident airplane cleared the runway before they were required to abort their landing. The data also showed that the accident airplane taxied erratically on the airport surface, with numerous heading changes and course reversals, over a 6-minute span. Ground personnel stated that the pilot did not respond to radio calls and had to be directed in person by a lineman that his party was parked at the opposite end of the airport. The airplane also experienced another head-on encounter with the landing business jet while on the taxiway.
Witness Accounts
Two friends of the pilot, who were also pilots, reported that they agreed to fly their individual airplanes from APF to MTH, have lunch, and return. The accident occurred on the return flight. Neither heard the accident pilot over the radio, and they became concerned when his arrival at APF seemed overdue. They described his arrival at MTH as “took longer than expected.” Each was a retired airline pilot. They noted that the pilot explained his opposite-direction landing based on his interpretation of the windsock. One friend said, “Yes, he didn’t eat his lunch, which was unusual.” The other stated that the pilot was engaged in conversation and that he would have acted if he had any concerns, adding, “My wife said he seemed off, but I didn’t notice anything unusual except that he didn’t eat the dinner he ordered.”
The lineman who parked the accident pilot next to his waiting friends said he had been an emergency medical technician for 15 years and immediately noticed that the pilot struggled to egress his airplane and appeared “befuddled” when he got out. The lineman asked if the pilot wanted fuel or other services, but the pilot “wouldn’t” respond. Another pilot confronted the accident pilot about entering the traffic pattern and landing in the opposite direction without radio calls. The lineman said the accident pilot did not respond and continued to appear “befuddled,” and that his friends “defended him” and took him to lunch. The other pilots explained that the accident pilot “didn’t have a radio” as the radio in his airplane was inoperative. The lineman added, “I feared for the pilot because he was ‘devastated’ by what he had done. He was wrong, both on the landing and when he taxied. He looked devastated.”
Medical Information
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification file and the pilot’s pre-event medical records were reviewed by a National Transportation Safety Board medical officer. The 68-year-old male pilot was operating under BasicMed. His most recent FAA medical certification examination was on May 20, 2014, at which time he reported taking aspirin and having no medical conditions. The remains of the pilot were not found; no autopsy report or toxicology testing results were available.
Pre-event medical records showed that the pilot had a history of coronary artery disease and had angioplasty and stenting of his left main, left anterior descending, and left circumflex coronary arteries in 2018. His exercise nuclear study on November 9, 2021, was abnormal with a reduced ejection fraction and systolic function. While there was no current ischemia, there was evidence of a past infarct. He had swelling of both legs and was being treated for fluid retention and high blood pressure. He was also being treated for high lipid levels, diabetes, and gastric reflux disease. The pilot had a body mass index of 35.