N53589

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On February 23, 2012, about 2036 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, N53589, was substantially damaged when it impacted the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, following a loss of control during departure from Key West International Airport (EYW), Key West, Florida. The pilot and his pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, destined for Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami Florida.

Earlier in the day, the pilot and his pilot rated passenger had departed South Bimini Airport (MYBS), South Bimini, Bahamas, for TMB. However, due to a visit to the Miami area by the President of the United States, a temporary flight restriction (TFR) was in effect and they were unable to continue to TMB, and diverted to EYW.

Witness Statements and Camera Imagery

Witness statements and review of airport security camera imagery revealed that the airplane arrived at EYW at approximately 1713 and then taxied to the general aviation ramp. The pilots were then directed to taxi to the international arrivals ramp at 1718. The pilots were cleared through customs at 1739, and then at 1741, the pilots taxied the airplane to the general aviation ramp.

Upon arriving at the general aviation ramp the airplane was refueled with 12 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline. The pilots then requested a taxi cab so that they could have dinner and were driven to downtown Key West where they were dropped off on Duvall Street.

At 1842, the pilot called Lockheed Martin Flight Services and was connected with the Washington FAA Contract Flight Service Station (DCA FCFSS) and inquired as to when the TFR would end. The pilot was then advised by the flight services specialist that it would end at 1945 but, to call back and check again with them in the event that it had been extended.

The pilot and pilot rated passenger were next observed exiting a taxi cab at the airport, and at 2015 the pilot rated passenger called the DCA FCFSS to inquire about the TFR. He was then advised that it was no longer in effect and was given an abbreviated briefing. Approximately nine minutes later, they entered the general aviation ramp and a red aircraft anti collision light beacon was seen to illuminate. Several minutes later the light moved in the direction of runway 09.

The airplane then took off. The airplane's flight path became "erratic" and the airplane descended, then leveled off, descended again and leveled off, and then was lost from camera view. Then a little while later, a witness who was fishing off the Boca Chica Bridge, observed "flashing lights from an airplane descending fast towards the water in a nose dive" and which "never seemed to pull up".

Review of Radar Data

A review of radar data provided by the United States Air Force 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron for the time period between 2000 and 2100 revealed that a flight track for a 1200 beacon code had been captured that was consistent with the parameters of the accident flight. No altitude encoding (Mode C) information was captured.

The radar picked up the beacon code while a target was on the runway at 2033:20. The target then departed EYW to the east, and then at 2033:50 at the end of runway 9 at EYW, the target turned to the north. Then at 2034:07, the average ground speed of the target increased from 72 knots to approximately 100 knots at the end of the flight track at 2036:05. PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot and pilot rated passenger were both Polish citizens. They both held Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificates with ratings for airplane single-engine land which were issued on the basis of their Polish private pilot licenses. Neither pilot possessed an instrument rating.

The Pilot

According to FAA records and records obtained from Dean International Inc., who rented the airplane to the pilot at TMB, the pilot was an air traffic controller in Poland. He received his FAA pilot certificate, which required that all restrictions and limitations of his Polish private pilot license be complied with, on February 14, 2012.

His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on February 14, 2012. He had accrued approximately 74 total flight hours, 30 of which were as pilot in command.

The Pilot Rated Passenger

According to FAA records and records obtained from Dean International Inc. the pilot rated passenger received his FAA pilot certificate on December 7, 2009.

He had also previously rented from Dean International.

His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on December 7, 2009. He had accrued approximately 135 total flight hours, 100 of which were as pilot in command. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident aircraft was a high wing, strut braced, four place, single engine airplane of conventional construction. It was powered by a 180 horsepower, four cylinder, fuel injected engine.

It was certificated for flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) but unlike the airplane that the pilot did his rental checkout in which had an electronic flight information display system, the accident airplane was equipped with standard analog instruments. However, all of the flight instruments needed for flight in IMC were contained in a single panel located in front of the pilot.

These instruments were designed around the basic "T" configuration. The attitude indicator and directional indicator were located immediately in front of the pilot. They were arranged vertically over the control column with the attitude indicator in the upper portion of the panel and the directional indicator directly below it. Both indicators were air-driven by a vacuum system, which was powered by dual vacuum pumps equipped with check valves, to allow for normal vacuum system operation if one of the vacuum pumps should fail. The airspeed indicator was located to the left of the attitude indicator and, the altimeter was located to the right of the attitude indicator. A multi-function annunciator was also located above the altimeter and provided caution and warning messages for fuel quantity, oil pressure, low vacuum, and low voltage situations. No flight instruments were located in front of the pilot rated passenger.

According to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the accident airplane was manufactured in 2003. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on January 15, 2012. At the time of accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 4,659.3 total hours of operation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The recorded weather at EYW, approximately 3 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, at 2053, included: wind 100 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles; sky clear, temperature 23 degrees C, dew point 21 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.

According to the United States Naval Observatory on the day of the accident, sunset occurred at 1826, and the end of civil twilight occurred at 1849. The phase of the Moon was a waxing crescent with 3 percent of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. Moonset was at 2010. AIRPORT INFORMATION

The accident aircraft was a high wing, strut braced, four place, single engine airplane of conventional construction. It was powered by a 180 horsepower, four cylinder, fuel injected engine.

It was certificated for flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) but unlike the airplane that the pilot did his rental checkout in which had an electronic flight information display system, the accident airplane was equipped with standard analog instruments. However, all of the flight instruments needed for flight in IMC were contained in a single panel located in front of the pilot.

These instruments were designed around the basic "T" configuration. The attitude indicator and directional indicator were located immediately in front of the pilot. They were arranged vertically over the control column with the attitude indicator in the upper portion of the panel and the directional indicator directly below it. Both indicators were air-driven by a vacuum system, which was powered by dual vacuum pumps equipped with check valves, to allow for normal vacuum system operation if one of the vacuum pumps should fail. The airspeed indicator was located to the left of the attitude indicator and, the altimeter was located to the right of the attitude indicator. A multi-function annunciator was also located above the altimeter and provided caution and warning messages for fuel quantity, oil pressure, low vacuum, and low voltage situations. No flight instruments were located in front of the pilot rated passenger.

According to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the accident airplane was manufactured in 2003. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on January 15, 2012. At the time of accident, the airplane had accrued approximately 4,659.3 total hours of operation. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

On February 24, 2012, at approximately 1235, floating debris was discovered on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico by a boater who notified the United States Coast Guard Group Key West (USCG). The USCG and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission responded to the area and discovered the wreckage of the airplane in the general vicinity of the floating debris, laying on the sea floor, in approximately 7 feet of water. The wreckage was then recovered and secured using local assets by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol for examination by the NTSB.

Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact failure of the airplane's structure. Examination of the wings revealed that the right wing had fragmented into multiple pieces which exhibited areas of crush and compression damage and the lef...