Pilot Reported Engine Failure Before Impacting Water

A recording of communications between pilot Gary Tillman and a Florida air traffic controller just before Tillman was forced to ditch his plane in the Atlantic Ocean last December were made public Wednesday, giving investigators some idea what brought the Cessna 195 (file photo of type, below) down.

As Aero-News reported, Tillman perished in the accident, as did his 16-year-daughter Hannah. Two other passengers were rescued from the scene... although one, Anna Kipp, later died en route to the hospital.

The surviving passenger, 16-year-old Rachel Hostetler, told investigators she had been sleeping just before the crash, but awakened as a conversation about adverse weather was going on inside the plane.

A short time later, the plane impacted the water and Hostetler was thrown back into the baggage compartment. She then escaped through the baggage door and swam to shore.

Below is the transcript released by Atlanta's WSB-TV:

• TOWER: Nover 22 Lima your Mode C appears to be intermittent.
• TILLMAN: OK, 22 Lima this moisture causes strange things no doubt.
• TOWER: OK, I'm just letting you know. What altitude are you leaving.
• TILLMAN: Climbing through four thousand four hundred.
• TOWER: Thank you.

Moments later...

• TILLMAN: Two, two Lima, we just lost an engine here. Two, Two Lima, we need a vector for the beach if possible.
• TOWER: Say it again, sir.
• TILLMAN: Two, two lima, we, ah our engine just started running rough, we need a vector if possible.
• TOWER: Yes sir. Are you able to maintain altitude? If you're not, I'll vector you right in on the localizer and nice little glide rate.
• TILLMAN: I'm unable to maintain altitude.
• TOWER: Number of souls on board?
• TILLMAN: Four souls.
• TOWER: Nover two, two lima, your position is three miles east of the airport as you break out, turn right two seven zero.
• TILLMAN: See, I'm heading to heading of two seven zero. We're over the water, we're not going to make it.
• TILLMAN: Send some help, we're going in the drink. (This was the last transmission from Tillman.)
• TOWER: Alright, we're coming out. We'll send folks out to you.
• TOWER: Two, two lima just crashed, we believe, in the ocean down in St. Augustine, so any new information you might have starting putting it together.

According to its Preliminary Report, the NTSB says the plane was in IMC when it went down. Tillman had filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan from Craig Municipal Airport in Jacksonville, FL to St. Lucie County International Airport in Fort Pierce.

Rescuers searched for the bodies of Tillman and his daughter in high seas and rain, but were unable to locate them or any wreckage from the aircraft. Two weeks after the accident, a shrimp boat crew found the wreckage, with two bodies onboard.

The NTSB is still investigating what may have caused the vintage Cessna's engine to fail.

FMI: Read The NTSB Preliminary Report