Incident Overview
A distress message was received from a pilot reporting that the aircraft was 100 miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana. The pilot stated that one engine had been lost and the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude. Shortly thereafter, a second message indicated that the aircraft had descended to 1,500 feet and the pilot was preparing to ditch the aircraft in the water.
Distress Messages and Loss of Contact
Following the second message, no further communications were received from the pilot. Additionally, no signals from the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) were detected. The absence of contact and ELT signals suggests that the aircraft may have entered the water as planned or experienced an uncontrolled descent.
Current Status
As of the latest information, the aircraft wreckage has not been located. The official investigation classified this occurrence as a missing aircraft with an unknown phase of operation. The reason for the occurrence remains undetermined.