What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 4, 2015 at approximately 1933HRS, a 911 caller stated he had observed what appeared to be an airplane crashing into the ocean off breezy point, NY.
The aircraft recovered, a Flight design gmb Ctls, light sport, single engine, N622BT was manufactured
On March 15, 2012. On board the aircraft was the registered owner and only occupant, james bradford
Mcgee.
The aircraft had been fueled and departed northeast philadelphia airport (pne) at approximately 1900HRS with the intended destination of portsmouth international, NH. At approximately 1933HRS
Radar contact was lost. Witness observed what appeared to be an airplane crashing approximately 5 miles south of breezy point, NY. At 2130HRS, it was reported to the garden city, NY FSDO from the
Regional operations center (roc). The coast guard received calls from area residents that aircraft parts had come ashore in same area. Additional aircraft parts were also discovered in the vicinity of jfk airport.
Recovered in the debris field, a section of the tail with the registration number, N622BT and most of the wing. The body of the owner and pilot of the aircraft was recovered and identified as james bradford mcgee. Mr. Mcgee was pronounced dead at 2336HRS by EMS at the scene.
On November 5, 2015, the NY FSDO dispatched three teams of inspectors. The first team was dispatched to riis landing, NY where all wreckage recovered had been assembled and met with the NTSB sent to the scene. The second team was dispatched to the papd (jfk) to take possession of debris located near jfk airport. The third team was dispatched with a toxicology box for delivery to the queens hospital coroner for release to the FAA civil aerospace medical institute (cami).
Team one arrived at riss at 1010HRS, met with the NTSB representative and began the investigation of debris recovered. At 1215HRS, team one went to the nypd 100 precinct to inspect personal items recovered at the crash site.
On November 6, 2015, aircraft parts recovered had been moved to the nypd aviation unit hangar.
Included in the recovery, the aft section or the fuselage, the entire wing section and the engine with propeller attached. All three blades were fractured about midsection from the propeller hub. Four spark
Plugs were removed, appeared grey in color and exhibited normal wear. The propeller was rotated by hand and thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders. The rocker box covers were removed to visually confirm valve and crankshaft continuity. The ballistic parachute system was recovered. The chute was separated from the aircraft and had partially deployed. The rocket charge was recovered and had been discharged. Control cable continuity was verified from the cockpit controls to the rudder, elevator and ailerons.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 4, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1933HRS, A 911 CALLER STATED HE HAD OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN AIRPLANE CRASHING INTO THE OCEAN OFF BREEZY POINT, NY.
THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERED, A FLIGHT DESIGN GMB CTLS, LIGHT SPORT, SINGLE ENGINE, N622BT WAS MANUFACTURED
ON MARCH 15, 2012. ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE REGISTERED OWNER AND ONLY OCCUPANT, JAMES BRADFORD
MCGEE.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FUELED AND DEPARTED NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT (PNE) AT APPROXIMATELY 1900HRS WITH THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF PORTSMOUTH INTERNATIONAL, NH. AT APPROXIMATELY 1933HRS
RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. WITNESS OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN AIRPLANE CRASHING APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTH OF BREEZY POINT, NY. AT 2130HRS, IT WAS REPORTED TO THE GARDEN CITY, NY FSDO FROM THE
REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC). THE COAST GUARD RECEIVED CALLS FROM AREA RESIDENTS THAT AIRCRAFT PARTS HAD COME ASHORE IN SAME AREA. ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT PARTS WERE ALSO DISCOVERED IN THE VICINITY OF JFK AIRPORT.
RECOVERED IN THE DEBRIS FIELD, A SECTION OF THE TAIL WITH THE REGISTRATION NUMBER, N622BT AND MOST OF THE WING. THE BODY OF THE OWNER AND PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND IDENTIFIED AS JAMES BRADFORD MCGEE. MR. MCGEE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT 2336HRS BY EMS AT THE SCENE.
ON NOVEMBER 5, 2015, THE NY FSDO DISPATCHED THREE TEAMS OF INSPECTORS. THE FIRST TEAM WAS DISPATCHED TO RIIS LANDING, NY WHERE ALL WRECKAGE RECOVERED HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED AND MET WITH THE NTSB SENT TO THE SCENE. THE SECOND TEAM WAS DISPATCHED TO THE PAPD (JFK) TO TAKE POSSESSION OF DEBRIS LOCATED NEAR JFK AIRPORT. THE THIRD TEAM WAS DISPATCHED WITH A TOXICOLOGY BOX FOR DELIVERY TO THE QUEENS HOSPITAL CORONER FOR RELEASE TO THE FAA CIVIL AEROSPACE MEDICAL INSTITUTE (CAMI).
TEAM ONE ARRIVED AT RISS AT 1010HRS, MET WITH THE NTSB REPRESENTATIVE AND BEGAN THE INVESTIGATION OF DEBRIS RECOVERED. AT 1215HRS, TEAM ONE WENT TO THE NYPD 100 PRECINCT TO INSPECT PERSONAL ITEMS RECOVERED AT THE CRASH SITE.
ON NOVEMBER 6, 2015, AIRCRAFT PARTS RECOVERED HAD BEEN MOVED TO THE NYPD AVIATION UNIT HANGAR.
INCLUDED IN THE RECOVERY, THE AFT SECTION OR THE FUSELAGE, THE ENTIRE WING SECTION AND THE ENGINE WITH PROPELLER ATTACHED. ALL THREE BLADES WERE FRACTURED ABOUT MIDSECTION FROM THE PROPELLER HUB. FOUR SPARK
PLUGS WERE REMOVED, APPEARED GREY IN COLOR AND EXHIBITED NORMAL WEAR. THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED BY HAND AND THUMB COMPRESSION WAS CONFIRMED ON ALL CYLINDERS. THE ROCKER BOX COVERS WERE REMOVED TO VISUALLY CONFIRM VALVE AND CRANKSHAFT CONTINUITY. THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE SYSTEM WAS RECOVERED. THE CHUTE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THE ROCKET CHARGE WAS RECOVERED AND HAD BEEN DISCHARGED. CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED FROM THE COCKPIT CONTROLS TO THE RUDDER, ELEVATOR AND AILERONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N622BT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.