N1905S

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On November 4, 2004, about 1927 eastern standard time, a SOCATA TB 20, N1905S, registered to and operated by Megapede USA, Inc., crashed into the Straits of Florida approximately 5.13 statute miles and 199 degrees from the Key West International Airport, Key West, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from Key West International Airport, to Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota, Florida. The airplane was destroyed by impact, and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated about 1923, from Key West International Airport.

According to a transcription of communications with Key West International Airport (KEYW) Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), the pilot established contact with the tower at 1915:29, and advised the controller that the aircraft was IFR, had ATIS information Delta, and was ready to taxi. The controller advised the pilot to taxi to runway 09, and cleared the flight to the destination airport as filed, to maintain 6,000 feet, and provided the departure frequency and discrete transponder code (0040). The pilot correctly repeated the IFR clearance then requested, "... will I be able to get a right turn out so that I can do a climbing circle over Key West." The controller advised the pilot that he was going to coordinate with approach control. At 1922:27, the pilot contacted the tower and advised the controller that the flight was ready for departure. At 1922:49, the controller cleared the flight for takeoff, which was acknowledged by the pilot. The controller advised Naval Air Station Key West approach control that the aircraft was, "... rolling", and, "... he's going southbound one eighty." At 1924:17, the tower controller advised the pilot to fly heading 180 degrees and to contact departure control. The pilot responded, "zero five sierra one eight zero on the heading departure." There was no further communications with the KEYW ATCT.

According to a transcription of communications with the Naval Air Station Key West Air Traffic Control Facility (NAS ATCF), at 1924:28, the pilot established contact with the facility. The airplane was radar identified and the pilot was advised to continue heading 180 degrees. At the pilot's request, the controller repeated the instruction to fly heading 180 degrees. The pilot acknowledged the heading of 180 degrees. At 1925:15, the NAS ATCF controller asked the pilot the current heading to which he replied, "zero five sierra is on a heading of one eight zero." 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, and there were no further transmissions from the pilot of the accident airplane. At 1933:34, the NAS ATCF controller contacted the KEYW ATCT and asked the controller, "... do you see his code anywhere." The KEYW ATCT controller advised the NAS ATCF controller, "I do not see him out [there] flying anywhere." The controller made repeated broadcasts to the pilot of the accident airplane; the pilot did not respond.

Review of NTSB obtained recorded radar data revealed that discrete transponder returns associated with the accident airplane while airborne were noted from 1924:01, when the airplane was at 100 feet mean sea level (msl), to 1927:01, when the airplane was at 1,900 feet msl. The recorded radar data depicts that after departing Key West International Airport to the east, the airplane banked to the right and flew in a southwesterly direction between approximately 1924:49, and 1925:13. The radar data then depicts the airplane flying in a southerly direction from 1925:25, to 1927:01, where the last recorded transponder return was located at 24 degrees 29.032 minutes North latitude and 081 degrees 46.242 minutes West longitude. The recorded radar targets occur every 12 seconds; a total of 16 radar targets with altitude depicted are noted. There was no record of a malfunction of the radar site at the time of or after the last radar target.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot was the holder of a private pilot certificate with ratings airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. A review of his airman file revealed he failed instrument approach procedures during his first attempt to obtain the instrument rating on September 12, 2000. He obtained his instrument rating the following day. He was issued a third class medical certificate on April 15, 2004, with the restriction "must wear corrective lenses." A review of the application for his last medical certificate revealed he listed a total flight time of 813 hours.

A review of provided copies of the pilot's first two logbooks that began with his first logged flight in January 1982, and ends with his last logged flight in October 2001, revealed he logged a total time of 651.3 hours, and 39.4 hours night time. The logbooks did not reflect any actual instrument flight time logged, but he did log 51.2 hours simulated instrument time. The pilot's most recent pilot logbook was not located; therefore, no determination was made whether he was instrument current.

As previously reported, the pilot indicated a total flight time of 813 hours on the April 15, 2004, application for his medical certificate. Information provided by the owner of the airplane revealed that from April 22, 2004, to the date of the accident, the accident pilot flew the airplane approximately 16 hours. Prior to the flight on the accident date from Sarasota to Key West, Florida, the accident pilot last flew the airplane on October 22, 2004. On October 14, 2004, the accident pilot flew the airplane a total of .93 hour, and in an e-mail from him to the airplane owner, reported performing "three full-stop night landings at SRQ."

According to FAA records, the passenger did not hold any pilot certificate. Immediate relatives advised the NTSB that she would typically sit in the copilot seat during a flight.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was manufactured in June 1999, by Socata Group Aerospatiale as model TB 20, and was designated serial number 1905. A U.S. standard airworthiness certificate was issued on July 13, 1999, and it was certificated in the normal category. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming TIO-540-C4D5D engine rated at 250 horsepower at 2,575 rpm, and a Hartzell HC-C2YK-1BF constant speed propeller with F8477-4 propeller blades. The airplane was also equipped with a King KFC 150 2-axis autopilot system with altitude hold, and a backup electrically operated attitude indicator installed on the copilot's side of the instrument panel. An electrically operated standby vacuum pump was installed in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA 7628SW on March 17, 2000.

A review of the maintenance records revealed that on October 29, 2002, the altimeter and automatic pressure reporting and static system inspections and the transponder inspection were complied with. On July 8, 2003, the engine-driven vacuum pump was replaced, and on the same date the repaired propeller was installed. The airplane was last inspected in accordance with an annual inspection on November 28, 2003. The aircraft total time at that time was recorded to be 535.46 hours. The airplane had accumulated approximately 145 hours since the inspection at the time of the accident; the airplane total time at the time of the accident was approximately 681 hours.

The airplane owner reported that he last flew the airplane on October 22nd and 23rd, 2004, on flights from Sarasota, Florida, to Gulfport, Mississippi (Gulfport), then returned to Sarasota, Florida. He did not experience any problems with the airplane or its systems, and the autopilot system was working perfectly but he did not know if the accident pilot was proficient in using the autopilot system. He performed a full coupled ILS approach into Gulfport, and did not experience any problems. He also reported the airplane was scheduled for an annual inspection on November 8, 2004.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A surface observation weather report taken at the Key West International Airport at 1940, or approximately 13 minutes after the accident indicates that the wind was from 090 degrees at 5 knots, the visibility was 10 statute miles, clear skies existed, the temperature and dewpoint were 27 and 21 degrees Celsius, respectively, and the altimeter setting was 30.00 inHg.

United States Naval Observatory data for November 4, 2004, indicates that the sunset was at 1745, and the end of civil twilight occurred at 1809.

COMMUNICATIONS

The pilot was last in contact with the Naval Air Station Air Traffic Control Facility; there was no reported communication difficulty.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane crashed into the Straits of Florida. Floating wreckage located immediately by the U.S. Coast Guard was retained for further examination. The main wreckage was located on December 8, 2004, or 34 days later, at 24 degrees 29.065 minutes North latitude and 081 degrees 46.849 minutes West longitude, which was approximately .55 nautical mile and 278 degrees from the last recorded radar target. All debris found at the site was located within approximately 100 feet of the main wreckage.

The NTSB first examined the wreckage following recovery. The examination revealed that the fuselage and both wings were fragmented. The main spars of the wings were connected at the center section of the aircraft, and both were fractured approximately 2 feet outboard of the center section. The right wing upper spar cap was rotated forward, while the left-wing upper...