20110609011319A

ON THURSDAY 9 JUNE 2011, AT APPROXIMATELY 1040 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (SIBLINGS, 21 AND 24 YEARS OF AGE, RESPECTIVELY), FLYING IN N48869, A CESSNA 152 OPERATED BY SPACE COAST AVIATION, MERRITT ISLAND, FL, IMPACTED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA ON THE SOUTHWESTERN EDGE OF BLUE CYPRESS LAKE IN WESTERN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FL. THE ACCIDENT LOCATION IS NEAR YEEHAW JUNCTION, BUT IS TECHNICALLY CONSIDERED VERO BEACH. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE IMPACT FOOTPRINT INDICATES A LEFT SPIN TO IMPACT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MERRITT ISLAND AIRPORT (KCOI) AT APPROXIMATELY 1010 THAT MORNING. THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN AND IS NOT KNOWN TO HAVE OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEF FROM ANY OFFICIAL OUTLETS. THE RENTAL AGENCY HAD NO RECORD OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE INTENDED FLIGHT PATH. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN FLIGHT FOLLOWING. SAR EFFORTS DID NOT COMMENCE UNTIL NEAR DUSK, AND REQUIRED SEVERAL HOURS TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT.A RADAR TRACE OBTAINED BY THE FAA FROM THE FORT DRUM ASR-7 RADAR SITE, APPROXIMATELY 10 NM AWAY FROM THE IPACT AREA, INDICATES THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED SOUTHWEST FROM KCOI ON A PATH THAT TOOK IT APPROX 6 NM WEST OF BLUE CYPRESS LAKE. ABEAM THE LAKE, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT TO A NORTHEAST HEADING AND, UPON REACHING THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE LAKE, TURNED TO THE RIGHT, HEADING SOUTH ALONG THE SHORELINE. SOME TURNING AND CIRCLING IS DETECTED IN THE RADAR TRACE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT RESUMES A SOUTH-TO-SOUTHWESTERLY COURSE JUST PRIOR TO DISAPPEARING FROM RADAR. GROUNDSPEEDS MEASURE IN THE RANGE OF 90-95 KTS ALMOST THE ENTIRE TIME, EXCEPT FOR THE VERY LAST RADAR RETURNS. THE RADAR HAS EXCELLENT SITING WITH RESPECT TO THE MISHAP FLIGHT PATH. N48869'S TRANSPONDER IS BELIEVED TO HAVE HAD AN INOPERATIVE MODE-C; A PLACARD WAS INSTALLED, STATING "MODE C INOP", AND THE ASR-7 RADAR SITE DID NOT RECORD ALTITUDE ON THE TRACE. THEREFORE, ALTITUDE DATA ON THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT DOES NOT EXIST.A MEDIC ALERT BRACELET WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE. IT IS ENGRAVED WITH THE PILOT'S NAME AND THE WORDS "IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PUPURA". FAA'S CIVIL AEROSPACE MEDICAL INSTITUTE ("CAMI") WAS CONSULTED ON THIS FINDING. CAMI WAS AWARE OF THE PILOT'S CONDITION, KNOWN AS "ITP". ITP IS A CONDITION RELATING TO A LOW RED BLOOD CELL COUNT, AND WHICH RETARDS THE BLOOD CLOTTING PROCESS. ITP CAN BE A SHOW-STOPPER FOR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, DEPENDING ON VARIOUS MEDICAL FACTORS. ITP IS NOT A DISEASE WHICH WOULD SUDDENLY RENDER A PILOT INCAPACITATED. CAMI WAS AWARE OF THE PILOT'S ITP, AND HAD REQUESTED DOCUMENTATION FROM HER, ATTESTING TO THE EFFICACY OF TREATMENT. THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS GIVEN AN EXPIRATION DATE OF 30 APRIL 2011, PENDING RECEIPT OF THE REQUESTED DOCUMENTS AT CAMI. THE LIMITATION PLACED ON THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AS SHOWN IN SPAS STATES "NOT VALID FOR ANY CLASS AFTER." THE MISSING WORDS ARE THE EXPIRATION DATE, 30 APRIL 2011, AND ARE NOT SHOWN BECAUSE OF A FORMAT LIMITATION IN SPAS. CAMI STATES THE PILOT MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF THE REQUESTED DOCUMENTS, AND THE EXPIRATION DATE PASSED WITH NO ACTION TO CONTINUE THE CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT THUS HAD AN EXPIRED FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. ACCORDING TO CAMI, THE EXPIRATION DATE IS IN THE LETTER MAILED FROM CAMI TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HER AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER. IT DOES NOT, APPEAR ON HER FAA THIRD CLASS MEDICAL / STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE FOUND AT THE SCENE, NOR IS IT CONTAINED IN SPACE COAST AVIATION'S RECORDS. THE PILOT ALSO CARRIED A JAA CLASS 1 MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DATED 13 AUG 2009.AIRCRAFT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT FINDING: THE AIRCRAFT HAS A BROKEN RUDDER ACTUATION HORN ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE FRACTURE IS IN THE AREA ADDRESSED BY AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE, 2009-10-09. NTSB HAS RETAINED TAIL SECTION FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS; RESULTS PENDING. THE AD WAS IMPROPERLY DOCUMENTED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, DATED 20 JUL 2010.