# Accident 19970324011109A: Beech V35, Marco Island, FL, March 24, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 1997, 19:12 local time
- Place: Marco Island, FL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 25.9407° N, 81.5396° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.9407&lon=-81.5396&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9049S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9049S-1998-04-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech V35 (registry code 1151538, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-v35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH V35
- Reported engine: CONT IO520BA
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 540 total, 40 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL97FA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97FA054) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970324011109A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) AFTER DEPARTING MARATHON, FLORIDA, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT RECEIVED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE, INCLUDING A CONVECTIVE SIGMET WARNING, AND HE CONTINUED ON HIS FLIGHT TO PUNTA GORDA, FLORDIA. AT 1907:43, RADIO CONTACT WITH THE PILOT WAS LOST, WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA. APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER, RADAR CONTACT WAS ALSO LOST. REPORTEDLY, THE WEATHER IN THE AREA INCLUDED EXTREME, INTENSE, AND VERY STRONG WEATHER ECHOES. THE LAST RADAR `HIT' OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED TWO DISTINCT RETURNS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A MILE APART; AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRPLANE WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE OCCURRED. ONE OCCUPANT (A PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS FATALLY INJURED) AND MINIMAL AIRPLANE DEBRIS WERE RECOVERED. THE OTHER 2 OCCUPANTS WERE PRESUMED TO BE FATALLY INJURED. (-23) N9049S, A BEECH V35B, DEPARTED MARATHON, FLORIDA AIRPORT, ON MARCH 24, 1997. THE PILOT REQUESTED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AT 2338Z, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RADAR IDENTIFIED 2338Z. THE PILOT REQUESTED A CLIMB 2343Z TO MAINTAIN VFR, THEN 2357Z REQUESTED A CLIMB TO 8500 FEET TO FURTHER MAINTAIN VFR.  AT 000                    3Z AIRFILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO PUNTA GORDA AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 8000 FEET. MIAMI CENTER HANDED THE PILOT OVER TO FORT MYERS APPROACH AT 0006Z. FORT MYERS LOST BOTH RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH THE PILOT AT 007Z, 40 MILES SW OF SOUTH WEST FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (RSW). A CONVECTIVE SIGNET WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT RADAR SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS WEST OF THE WEATHER AT ALL TIMES.  A FISHING VESSEL RECOVERED THE REMAINS OF THE PILOT, JOHN SPRIGGS, LATER.  THE TWO PASSENGERS, BOTH RATED PILOTS, ARE PRESUMED DEAD.  NO OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL97FA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97FA054), Mar 25, 1997: Beech V35 (N9049S), Marco Island, FL, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: inadvertent flight by the pilot into adverse weather conditions (severe thunderstorms), which led the design stress limits of the airplane being exceeded, subsequent in-flight break-up of the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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