What happened
Shortly after midnight, the pilot of N1122Y, a single-engine aircraft, contacted Norfolk Approach to signal readiness for departure from Elizabeth City on runway 01. Following instructions to climb to 3,000 feet, the pilot transitioned to the FAA Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center. The pilot requested an NDB approach for runway 5 at Dare County Airport in Manteo and confirmed possession of current weather information.
At 0043, the controller cleared the flight for the approach, instructing the pilot to maintain 2,000 feet until crossing the beacon outbound. However, by 0046, air traffic controllers reported that radar contact with the aircraft had been lost. While the pilot briefly responded at 0057 to report a procedure turn inbound, no subsequent communications were received. After the aircraft failed to report landing, search and rescue operations were launched.
The wreckage was discovered in the waters of Croatan Sound, approximately 1.5 miles west of Dare County Regional Airport. The pilot was initially missing from the wreckage, but the body was later recovered from the sound on February 11, 2003.
Findings
An examination of the aircraft and its engine, flight controls, and mechanical systems revealed no evidence of a malfunction or failure prior to the crash. Investigators determined that the propeller had separated from the engine during the impact with the water, as evidenced by the condition of the mounting bolts. A postmortem examination of the pilot yielded no findings that could be identified as a cause of the accident. The investigation concluded that the impact with the water was the primary event involving the propeller separation.