The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Miami, Florida
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Miami, Florida
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
Accident Number: ERA19LA180
Date & Time: May 24, 2019, 17:55 Local
Registration: N832R
Aircraft: Cessna 560
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Unknown or undetermined
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning
Analysis
The airline transport pilot departed on a repositioning flight in the jet airplane. The airplane was in level cruise flight at 39,000 ft mean sea level when the pilot became unresponsive to air traffic controllers. The airplane continued over 300 miles past the destination airport before it descended and impacted the Atlantic Ocean. Neither the pilot nor the airplane were recovered, and the reason for the airplane's impact with water could not be determined based on the available information.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Impact with water for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Findings
Not determined (general) - Unknown/Not determined
Factual Information
On May 24, 2019, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 560, N832R, was destroyed when it impacted the Atlantic Ocean. The airline transport pilot was not found and presumed fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Jet Sales LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 positioning flight. Day visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN), Alton, Illinois, about 1430, and was destined for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The owner of the airplane reported that he purchased the airplane 2 days before the accident. The airplane had recently undergone a progressive inspection, which was completed on May 22, 2019. The owner hired the accident pilot to fly the airplane to FXE to have avionics work completed. On the day of the accident, the owner tracked the flight using an online commercial service once it departed ALN Shortly after 1700, he received a call from the avionics shop at FXE telling him that the airplane did not arrive. He then reviewed the airplane's online flight track again and saw that it had overflown FXE at 39,000 ft mean sea level (FL390) and was heading toward the Atlantic Ocean.
According to air traffic control radar and radio communication information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot established communications with the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and reported that the airplane was level at FL390 and that the air was smooth. Thirteen minutes later, the controller instructed the pilot to contact the Jacksonville ARTCC, but the pilot was unresponsive. The controller made several attempts to contact the pilot on different radio frequencies, but no response was received. Controllers continued to monitor the flight via radar as it continued through Jacksonville and Miami ARTCC airspace without radio contact.
The US Air Force dispatched two aircraft to intercept the accident airplane. As they approached the accident airplane, they could only see a vapor/contrail emitting from the right engine. The accident airplane slowed to about 100 knots as the interceptor airplanes passed it, and the pilots could not see the cockpit windows or inside the accident airplane. The accident airplane appeared to lose total engine power, then descended and impacted the Atlantic Ocean about 310 statute miles east of FXE.
The US Coast Guard initiated a search after the accident, which was suspended on May 25, 2019. Neither the pilot nor the airplane were recovered.
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on June 26, 2018. He reported 9,016 total hours of flight experience. He held numerous type ratings, including a type rating for the Cessna 560. The pilot's wife stated that her husband was not on any medications and that he had been sleeping well. The airplane was manufactured in 2001, and was powered by two Pratt and Whitney 535A engines. The airplane completed a phase 1-4 progressive inspection on May 22, 2019. The airframe and engine total time was 4,744.6 hours at the time of the inspection. According to the airplane's owner, all of the airplane's maintenance logs were onboard the airplane during the accident flight. Review of maintenance records from the most recent progressive inspection revealed two discrepancies related to the environmental system; the air cycle machine coalescer filter was changed and the main entrance door secondary seal was replaced. Maintenance records indicated that post-maintenance operational checks were satisfactory.
History of Flight
Enroute-cruise Unknown or undetermined (Defining event)
Pilot Information
Certificate: Airline transport
Age: 52, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: June 26, 2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 9016 hours (Total, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N832R
Model/Series: 560 Encore
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2001
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Transport
Serial Number: 560-0585
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 12
Date/Type of Last Inspection: May 22, 2019 Continuous airworthiness
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 16630 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 0 Hrs
Engines: 2 Turbo fan
Airframe Total Time: 4744.6 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Pratt & Whitney
ELT: Installed
Engine Model/Series: 535A
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 3045 Lbs thrust
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KFLL,11 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 310 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 21:53 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 261°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 3800 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 13 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 70°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.04 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 18°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Alton, IL (ALN)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: Fort Lauderdale, FL (FXE)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 14:30 Local
Type of Airspace:
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 37.634193,-72.8609(est)
=================
Accident Number: ERA19LA180
Date & Time: 05/24/2019, 1755 EDT
Registration: N832R
Aircraft: Cessna 560
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Positioning
On May 24, 2019, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 560, N832R, was destroyed when it impacted the Atlantic Ocean. The airline transport pilot was not found and presumed fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated, and the flight was being conducted as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. Day visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN), Alton, Illinois, about 1430 and was destined for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to the owner of the airplane, he purchased the airplane two days prior to the accident. The airplane had recently undergone a progressive inspection, which was completed on May 22, 2019. The owner then hired a contract pilot to fly the airplane to FXE to have some avionics work done. On the day of the accident, the owner tracked the progress of the flight using an online commercial service once it departed ALN about 1430. Shortly after 1700, he received a call from the avionics shop at FXE telling him the airplane did not arrive. He then reviewed the airplane's online flight track again and saw that it had overflown FXE at FL390 and was heading toward the Atlantic Ocean.
According to preliminary air traffic control radar and radio communication information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot established communications with the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and reported he was level at FL390, and that the air was smooth. Later, the air traffic controller tried to communicate with the pilot to tell him to contact the Jacksonville ARTCC, but the controller was unable to make contact with the pilot. The controller made several attempts to contact the pilot on different radio frequencies, to no avail. The controller then advised Jacksonville ARTCC that communications with the flight had been lost. The Jacksonville controllers then continued to monitor the flight via radar. The flight transitioned through Jacksonville and Miami ARTCC airspace without any radio contact.
The US Air Force dispatched two aircraft to intercept the accident airplane. One of the interceptor pilots reported that he could see the pilot unconscious and slumped over the controls. The intercept airplanes followed the accident airplane until it descended and impacted the Atlantic Ocean about 310 miles east of FXE.
The US Coast Guard initiated a search after the accident, which was suspended on May 25, 2019. The pilot and the airplane were not recovered.
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and multiengine land. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on June 26, 2018. He reported 9,016 total hours of flight experience. He held numerous type ratings including a type rating for the Cessna 560 and had a certification for single pilot for the Cessna 560.
The airplane was manufactured in 2001, and it was powered by two Pratt and Whitney JT15D-5D engines. According to the airplane's owner, all of the airplane's maintenance logs were onboard the airplane during the accident flight.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N832R
Model/Series: 560 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KFLL, 11 ft msl
Observation Time: 1753 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 413 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 19°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 3800 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 15 knots / 20 knots, 70°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.08 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Alton, IL (ALN)
Destination: Fort Lauderdale, FL (FXE)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 27.323889, -72.593333 (est)
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Mejia was at the controls of a small jet that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.
The search for the Cessna Citation V ended late Saturday after it crashed about 6 p.m. Friday.
"Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we ever have to make, and we never make it lightly,” Christopher Eddy, search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard 7th District, based in Miami, said in a statement.
“We always want the best case scenario to happen and will continue to monitor for new information that could aid responders," Eddy said.
Gonzalez Mejia was the only person aboard the plane. Pilots of Florida Air National Guard F-15s that were sent to intercept the Citation watched it crash into the ocean, the Coast Guard said.
In this case, “intercept” means the F-15s approached the Cessna and tried to communicate with the pilot.
Records show the plane is registered to a limited liability corporation in Manalapan, a barrier island off Lantana.
The aircraft left St. Louis Regional Airport in East Alton, Ill. at 1:35 p.m., an FAA spokeswoman said.
The plane was supposed to land at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
What caused the plane to crash remains unclear.
Before suspending its search, the Coast Guard conducted aerial searches concentrated in an area of 642 square nautical miles.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WSVN) - The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the pilot of a Cessna 560 Citation Encore that crashed off the coast of South Florida.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Cessna 560 Citation Encore had taken off from St. Louis Regional Airport, Friday afternoon, and was headed to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
Officials said the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, 221 miles northeast of the Bahamas.
Officials said the pilots of two F-15 fighter jets from the Florida Air National Guard witnessed the crash.
Officials said the pilot was only one on board. They said he was unable to reach air traffic control for more than an hour.
During that time, the Federal Aviation Administration tracked the flight on radar before the plane crashed.
Coast Guard conducted aerial searches covering 642 square nautical miles before calling off the search, late Saturday night.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://wsvn.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida - A Cessna 560 Citation Encore crashed in the Atlantic Ocean Friday afternoon -- away from its designated flight path -- about 310 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport air traffic controllers lost communication with the Cessna 560 Citation Encore and asked the U.S. Air Force to investigate.
The Florida Air National Guard dispatched two F-15 fighter jets from the Homestead Air Reserve. The pilots intercepted the Cessna 560 shortly before it went down.
"Only the pilot was aboard," FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen wrote in an 8 p.m. e-mail. "The aircraft was out of communication with air traffic controllers for more than one hour before it crashed."
The Cessna 560 Citation Encore left from St. Louis Regional Airport in East Alton, Illinois, about 2:35 p.m., and it descended rapidly and crashed out in the ocean about 6 p.m., according to Bergen. The F-15 fighter jets did not fire at the Cessna 560 Citation Encore.
According to FlightAware records, the N832R Cessna 560 Citation Encore, owned by Hypo Consulting LLC, made a sudden drop in speed about 5:45 p.m. AirNav RadarBox records show there were erratic changes in speed and altitude.
The plane headed toward the Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport, Bahamas, and crashed east of the Leonard M. Thompson International Airport in Mash Harbour, Bahamas. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules airplane crew responded to the downed aircraft about 221 miles northeast of the Marsh Harbor, Bahamas.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.local10.com
A Cessna 560 Citation Encore headed for South Florida kept going and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles east of Fort Lauderdale on Friday night.
The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicates only the pilot was aboard the Cessna 560 Citation Encore, which flew out of St. Louis Regional Airport in East Alton Illinois about 1:35 p.m. Friday and was destined for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
The aircraft crashed 310 miles east of Fort Lauderdale about 6 p.m., the FAA said.
The condition of the pilot is unclear, but the FAA said U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets from the Florida Air National Guard “intercepted,” or spotted the aircraft and flew alongside it, before it went down. The Florida Air National Guard is based at Homestead Air Reserve Base.
“The aircraft was out of communication with air traffic controllers for more than one hour before it crashed,” the FAA said in a statement. “FAA air traffic controllers tracked the flight on radar during that time.”
The FAA referred questions about the pilot’s condition to the U.S. Coast Guard. A spokesman for the Coast Guard’s southeast district said crews were responding to the crash but did not disclose further details Friday evening.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.miamiherald.com
U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching the Atlantic Ocean for a downed aircraft about 300 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, authorities said Friday night.
It is believed the pilot was the only person aboard the Cessna 560 Citation Encore when it crashed around 6 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane is registered to a limited liability corporation in Manalapan, records show.
The aircraft left St. Louis Regional Airport in East Alton, Illinois at 1:35 p.m., an FAA spokeswoman said.
The plane was supposed to land at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, she said.
“The aircraft was out of communication with air traffic controllers for more than one hour before it crashed,” said Kathleen Bergen, FAA’s spokeswoman.
“FAA air traffic controllers tracked the flight on radar during that time,” Bergen said. “U.S. Air Force F-15s intercepted the Cessna 560 Citation Encore shortly before it went down.”
It is unclear what caused the plane to crash or whether the pilot survived.
Flight records show that at 5:45 p.m. the Cessna 560 Citation Encore made a quick drop in speed and a slight drop in altitude. In one minute, it went from going 413 mph at 39,000 feet to 295 mph at 38,900 feet.
At 5:57 p.m. the aircraft’s flight path became erratic for about 13 minutes as it was seemingly tossed in all directions, flightaware.com records show.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.sun-sentinel.com
A Cessna 560 Citation Encore crashed Friday into the Atlantic Ocean 310 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft departed from St. Louis Regional Airport in Illinois at 1:35 p.m. CDT and was set to land at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the FAA said. It crashed at around 6 p.m.
Only the pilot was aboard the aircraft, the FAA said.
"The aircraft was out of communication with air traffic controllers for more than one hour before it crashed," a statement from the FAA read. "FAA air traffic controllers tracked the flight on radar during that time."
The FAA said U.S. Air Force F-15s intercepted the jet shortly before it went down.
The U.S. Coast Guard has been called out to respond to the crash.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.nbcmiami.com
