What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On December 5, 2002, about 2040 eastern standard time, an aaa aircraft leasing fourwind 192 homebuilt airplane, N192FW, registered to and operated by aaa aircraft leasing, impacted with a building owned by the federal reserve in Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 business flight. The airplane was destroyed, and the building was damaged. There were no injuries to anyone on the ground. The commercial-rated pilot and private-rated second pilot were fatally injured. The flight had departed from marathon, Florida, the same day about 2000. The flight was transitioning through the Miami class b airspace and receiving visual flight rules (VFR) advisories from Miami approach control. At a distance 3 miles west of the airport, at an altitude of 5,500 feet mean sea level, while proceeding northbound, the flight was observed by the controller to alter its course to a southeast heading, with no communication with the controller. The controller attempted to communicate with the pilot, without success. The flight was lost from radar, and about 3 minutes later the controllers were notified by the police that the airplane had crashed. The airplane had impacted with the northeast corner of the building. (-23) the company deemed that the PIC was richard verner grannis, since always liked flying from the right seat because he was an instructor pilot. There was a fire in the aircraft prior to the accident. It is unknown how he left the aircraft prior to the crash. It is unknown if the pilot had attended safety seminars, participated in a wings program or if he had recurrent training. Hours in this aircraft was an estimate by the company.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON DECEMBER 5, 2002, ABOUT 2040 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN AAA AIRCRAFT LEASING FOURWIND 192 HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N192FW, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AAA AIRCRAFT LEASING, IMPACTED WITH A BUILDING OWNED BY THE FEDERAL RESERVE IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 BUSINESS FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED, AND THE BUILDING WAS DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANYONE ON THE GROUND. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND PRIVATE-RATED SECOND PILOT WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM MARATHON, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY ABOUT 2000. THE FLIGHT WAS TRANSITIONING THROUGH THE MIAMI CLASS B AIRSPACE AND RECEIVING VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) ADVISORIES FROM MIAMI APPROACH CONTROL. AT A DISTANCE 3 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 5,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, WHILE PROCEEDING NORTHBOUND, THE FLIGHT WAS OBSERVED BY THE CONTROLLER TO ALTER ITS COURSE TO A SOUTHEAST HEADING, WITH NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PILOT, WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE FLIGHT WAS LOST FROM RADAR, AND ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER THE CONTROLLERS WERE NOTIFIED BY THE POLICE THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD CRASHED. THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED WITH THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE BUILDING. (-23) THE COMPANY DEEMED THAT THE PIC WAS RICHARD VERNER GRANNIS, SINCE ALWAYS LIKED FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT BECAUSE HE WAS AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT. THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW HE LEFT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE CRASH. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE PILOT HAD ATTENDED SAFETY SEMINARS, PARTICIPATED IN A WINGS PROGRAM OR IF HE HAD RECURRENT TRAINING. HOURS IN THIS AIRCRAFT WAS AN ESTIMATE BY THE COMPANY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.