At about 1927 Eastern time, the airplane was lost from radar 4.87 nautical miles and 192 degrees from the Key West International Airport, Key West, Fla. Visual conditions prevailed for the planned flight from Key West to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota, Fla. The airplane was presumed destroyed and the pilot is presumed to be fatally injured; the passenger was fatally injured. The flight originated at about 1923. At 1924:28, the pilot established contact with the Naval Air Station Key West Air Traffic Facility. At 1926:36, the NAS ATCF controller advised the pilot to turn right heading 360 degrees and when able to proceed direct to Lee County VORTAC, which the pilot correctly read back. At 1928:47, the NAS ATCF controller advised the pilot that the facility was not receiving the transponder beacon return and to reset the transponder code to 0040; the pilot did not acknowledge this. Subsequently, the U.S. Coast Guard located the passenger and debris from the airplane. Neither the main wreckage or the pilot has been located.
November 4, 2004, Key West, Fla. / SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad
At about 1927 Eastern time, the airplane was lost from radar 4.87 nautical miles and 192 degrees from the Key West International Airport, Key West, Fla. Visual conditions prevailed for the planned flight from Key West to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota, Fla. The airplane was presumed destroyed and the pilot is presumed to be fatally injured; the passenger was fatally injured. The flight originated at about 1923. At 1924:28, the pilot established contact with the Naval Air Station Key West Air Traffic Facility. At 1926:36, the NAS ATCF controller advised the pilot to turn right heading 360 degrees and when able to proceed direct to Lee County VORTAC, which the pilot c...
Key Takeaways:
- An airplane departing Key West lost radar contact shortly after takeoff and subsequently crashed, resulting in the fatal injury of its passenger and the presumed death of the pilot.
- The pilot had established contact with air traffic control (ATC) and received instructions, but did not acknowledge a later ATC advisory about a lost transponder beacon return.
- While debris and the passenger were located by the U.S. Coast Guard, the main wreckage of the airplane and the pilot have not been found.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
