Special VFR Departure BY Non-IFR Pilot Results In Less Than 15
Minutes
If in doubt, sit it out... A Skyhawk pilot with a full load of
four on board took off at night into a low broken cloud layer and
wound up in tragic circumstances less than 15 minutes after
departure from Florida's Kissimmee Airport. The 150 hour pilot did
not have an instrument rating and like many others before him,
apparently flew into the visually deceptive trap that can occur at
night, with lower ceilings... Yet again, what a shame.
NTSB Identification: ERA10FA091
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, December 07, 2009 in Kissimmee, FL
Aircraft: CESSNA 172S, registration: N5269X
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain
errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final
report has been completed.
On December 7, 2009, about 2223 eastern standard time (EST), a
Cessna 172S, N5269X, was substantially damaged after impacting the
water on Lake Russell, in Kissimmee, Florida. The certificated,
non-instrument rated, private pilot and three passengers were
fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and
no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed
from Florida Gateway Airport (ISM), Kissimmee, Florida, with an
intended destination of Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. The flight was conducted under the provisions
of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Security camera video showed that the pilot and three passengers
arrived at the fixed base operator (FBO) facility at 2126. Another
camera showed the pilot standing at a weather computer for
approximately 8 minutes, but the computer screen contents were not
discernible. The video image data showed that at approximately
2140, the pilot and three passengers walked to the airplane and
from 2140 until approximately 2153, someone appeared to conduct a
preflight inspection of the airplane with a flashlight. About 2153,
the airplane engine was started and for approximately the next 10
minutes, the airplane remained stationary with the engine running.
At 2208, the airplane began to taxi out of the parking spot with
its taxi light illuminated.
File Photo
Recordings of voice and radar tracking data was obtained from
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Control (ATC)
facility located in Orlando, Florida. About 2206, the pilot
requested a "special vfr [visual flight rules]" clearance from ISM
to FXE. About 2208, ATC issued the clearance and instructed the
pilot to "maintain vfr at or below one thousand five hundred" and
provided the pilot with a release time of 2208 and a clearance void
time of 2215. About 2222, ATC issued a clearance of "on course."
This clearance was acknowledged by the pilot, and was the last
transmission received from the airplane. Radar tracking data
indicated that the airplane made a slight left turn for an
on-course heading to FXE, and subsequently made a right turn of
approximately 100 degrees away from the direct track towards FXE.
The radar data showed the airplane at an altitude of 2,400 feet
above mean sea level (msl) at 2223. Approximately 12 seconds after
the 2,400 foot radar return, another radar return showed an
airplane altitude of 0 feet.
The wreckage was located in Lake Russell in about 6 foot deep
water and about 500 feet from the shore. The wreckage was confined
to an area of approximately 60 feet by 60 feet. The majority of the
airplane was recovered from the water. Recovery divers estimated
that the engine was embedded approximately four feet into the floor
of the lake, and that the rest of the airplane was positioned above
it, as if the airplane was in a nose down attitude at impact. The
right wing exhibited leading edge crush damage in the aft
direction, with increased damage toward the wingtip. The left wing
exhibited uniform leading edge crush damage, with the exception of
the outboard 13 inches, which sustained more damage. The right wing
strut was fracture-separated from the fuselage, and the wing strut
was bent approximately 45 degrees in the aft direction. The leading
edge of the left wing flap had damage consistent with impact with
the main landing gear.
The right main landing gear was bent in the up and aft
direction. The aft area of the fuselage was fragmented and
exhibited damage similar to impact damage. The left main landing
gear tire was separated from the rim. The rudder, left horizontal
stabilizer, elevator, and right horizontal stabilizer counterweight
were recovered. The right horizontal stabilizer was not recovered.
The left horizontal stabilizer leading edge damage was consistent
with being struck by the left main landing gear. The upper 11
inches of the rudder exhibited impact damage in the down and aft
directions. One flight control cable was cut during the recovery
process; however all other flight control cables exhibited fracture
separations consistent with tension overload.
The passenger compartment exhibited compression and fracture
damage. All four seats were recovered and the right passenger seat
and seat track were fracture-separated from the floor. The pilot
and front passenger seat shoulder harness inertial reels were
recovered. The shoulder harnesses were still attached to the buckle
and the inertial reels were attached to the cockpit ceiling support
structure and the belt webbing was stretched consistent with
overstress. The two sets of rudder pedal brackets were fracture
separated from the cross tube that connected the two sets of rudder
pedals and also from the attach point within the cockpit. Several
flight instruments were recovered; the attitude indicator was
disassembled and exhibited rotational scoring on the inside of the
gyro case. The airspeed indicator had numerous impact marks on the
face between 140 and 155 knots; however the rest of the case had
been fractured. Several small bags, including the pilot's flight
case, were recovered. An accurate weight for these items was not
determined, but they were estimated to weigh a total of
approximately 50 pounds. A wrist watch was also recovered; it was
stopped at a time of 2224.
The engine was recovered and will be examined at a later date.
The fuel servo was recovered and was fracture separated as well as
a single push rod and tube which were bent in a U-shaped pattern,
and an electric driven vacuum pump.
Fuel records obtained from the FBO at ISM indicated that a total
of 7 gallons of fuel was put in the airplane before the accident
flight, with 3 1/2 gallons dispensed into each of the wing
tanks.
According to maintenance records obtained from the flight school
that operated the accident airplane for training and rental, as of
December 2, 2009, the airplane had 4,815 total hours of service.
The most recent annual/100 hour inspection was completed on October
29, 2009. At the time of that inspection, the airplane had a total
time in service of 4,760.0 hours, and the engine had 400.1 total
hours since its most recent major overhaul.
According to FAA records, the accident airplane was manufactured
in 2002 and was issued and airworthiness certificate on October 15,
2002. It was equipped with a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine.
According to FAA records the pilot held a private pilot
certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. The date of
issuance was October 13, 2009. His most recent FAA first-class
medical certificate was issued on July 3, 2009. The pilot's logbook
was recovered from the lake, and the last entry, dated December 6,
2009, indicated that he had 150.7 total hours of flight experience.
The logbook also indicated that he had flown into and out of ISM on
several other occasions.
The 2153 recorded weather observation at ISM, located
approximately 10 miles north of the accident site, reported winds
from 060 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 sm, broken cloud layer
at 800 feet above ground level (agl), an overcast cloud layer at
2,700 feet agl, temperature 21 degrees C, dew point 19 degrees C,
and an altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of mercury.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.15.24)
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