FTW00FAMS1

The single-engine airplane is presumed destroyed following an uncontrolled descent into the Gulf of Mexico. The instrument rated private pilot, sole occupant, is presumed fatal. The pilot purchased the airplane 10 days prior to the accident and received dual instruction, which included an instrument competency check, 2 days prior to the accident. The flight instructor reported that no aircraft discrepancies were noted during the dual instructional flights. Subsequently, the cross-country flight departed Florida for Texas. Following a refueling stop in Alabama, the flight diverted to Louisiana, due to en route weather. On the morning of the accident, the pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the flight, and the pilot filed an IFR flight plan. The clearance delivery controller told the pilot about a line of thunderstorms crossing his route of flight and confirmed that the pilot had received all the weather updates from flight service. When the flight was cleared for takeoff, the controller confirmed that the airplane was not equipped with weather detection/avoidance equipment. At an en route altitude of 4,000 feet msl, the airplane deviated to a heading of 220 degrees where the flight path paralleled the line of thunderstorms. Subsequently, the pilot reported 'light to moderate chop.' The controller informed the pilot that a convective sigmet had been issued for an 'area of severe thunderstorms moving from two four zero at thirty knots tops above flight level four five zero tornados hail to two inches and wind gust to sixty knots' to which the pilot replied 'what in the world am I doing out here then.' The pilot requested that the controller keep the airplane out of the weather. The controller informed the pilot that the he would have to take at 'least two thirty heading for the next fifty miles or so before you could turn west bound.' Subsequently, the pilot replied, 'okay we are in moderate chop go ahead if you keep us out of the muck we are heading two three zero right now.' At 0619:38, the flight was cleared to a heading of 240 degrees. At 0621:35, the pilot requested 'you got anything better.' At 0621:41, the pilot told the controller 'we are pretty severe right now.' Review of radar track data for the airplane revealed that about 0620, there were excursions in the airplane's altitude and airspeed consistent with flight into moderate to severe turbulence. At 0621:44, the controller informed the pilot that he could turn the airplane west to a heading of 270 degrees. At 0624:05, radio and radar contact were lost. Houston Center tracked the descending target to 2,700 feet at a position approximately 20 nautical miles offshore southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. An extensive sea and air search for the airplane was unsuccessful.

History of flight

On April 3, 2000, at 0625 central daylight time, radio and radar contact were lost with a Beech M35, single-engine airplane, N9778R, as the airplane descended over the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 20 nautical miles offshore, southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The airplane was owned by Fisher Global Development of Houston, Texas, and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The instrument rated private pilot, sole occupant, is presumed fatal, and the airplane is presumed destroyed. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight departed Lafayette, Louisiana, at 0548.

On April 2nd, the flight departed Lakeland, Florida, with the planned cross-country destination of Houston, Texas. Following an en route fuel stop at Mobile, Alabama, the flight continued toward Sugar Land Municipal Airport, Houston, Texas. However, the flight diverted to Lafayette, Louisiana, due to en route weather.

During a recorded telephone conversation at 0011, on the day of the accident, the pilot told his brother that "level 6 [thunderstorms], 2 inch hail, [and] tornado warnings extend from Houston east through Louisiana, no way to get through it-extreme to severe." The pilot planned to get a hotel, depart Lafayette at 0600, and arrive at the office by 0800.

Review of air traffic control (ATC) data and transcripts revealed the following:

0425:15 The pilot called the DeRidder Flight Service Station (FSS) by telephone, obtained a preflight weather briefing, and filed an IFR flight plan for a direct route from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Sugar Land Municipal Airport (SGR), Houston, Texas.

0538:14 The flight was cleared to the Sugar Land Municipal Airport "via radar vectors Sabine gilco one arrival, maintain four thousand, departure frequency one two eight point seven squawk four five seven six." The pilot read back the clearance and told the controller "you probably based on weather want to take me south and then inward." The clearance delivery controller told the pilot that a line of weather, about 10 miles wide, was 45 miles west of Lafayette and extended to the north. The controller confirmed with the pilot that he had received all the weather updates from the De Ridder FSS.

0547:18 The flight was cleared for takeoff on runway 22R, at which time the controller confirmed that the airplane was not equipped with weather radar.

0549:42 Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) established radar contact with the airplane at an altitude of 2,500 feet msl, climbing to 4,000 feet msl. Subsequently, the airplane deviated to a heading of 220 degrees where the flight path paralleled a line of thunderstorms about 30 miles west of Lafayette.

0557:37 The pilot reported "light to moderate chop."

0558:28 The controller informed the pilot that a convective sigmet (24 central) had been issued for an "area of severe thunderstorms moving from two four zero at thirty knots, tops above flight level four five zero, tornados, hail to two inches, and wind gust to sixty knots."

0558:59 The pilot replied "what in the world am I doing out here then."

0603:16 The pilot requested that the controller keep the airplane out of the weather. The controller described the weather as a "long line of thunderstorms rain showers," and informed the pilot that from the airplane's present position, he would have to take at "least two thirty heading for the next fifty miles or so before you could turn west bound."

0604:09 The pilot replied, "okay we are in moderate chop go ahead if you keep us out of the muck we are heading two three zero right now."

0608:32 The pilot reported "heavy rain but really smooth air."

0614:11 The flight was cleared to a heading of 210 degrees, and the pilot was informed that the flight would need to continue on that heading for 20 to 25 miles before turning westbound.

0619:38 The flight was cleared to a heading of 240 degrees.

0621:35 The pilot requested, "you got anything better."

0621:37 The controller replied, "seven eight romeo what do you mean sir you want a heading further to the west."

0621:41 The pilot told the controller, "we are pretty severe right now."

0621:44 The controller informed the pilot that he could turn the airplane west to a heading of 270 degrees.

0624:05 Radio and radar contact were lost. Houston ARTCC tracked the descending target to 2,700 feet at position 29 degrees 37.00 minutes North and 093 degrees 43.42 minutes West.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) District Command Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, received notification at 0625, on April 3, 2000, from Lake Charles Approach Control that the airplane had disappeared from Lake Charles Approach Radar (White Lake VOR 266 degree radial at 28 nautical miles). Coast Guard search procedures were initiated; however, search efforts were hampered by thunderstorms and high winds. The USCG covered 20 search areas with negative sightings. On April 9, 2000, at 1553, the active search was suspended pending further developments.

The Civil Air Patrol, utilizing 17 aircraft, completed 18 inland search sorties (covering 1,200 square miles) with negative sightings.

The airstrip and all private roads on the 84,000 acres comprising the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge located in the coastal Cameron and Vermilion Parishes were searched. Boats searched the Gulf shoreline from Joseph Harbor westward for approximately 10 nautical miles.

The Cameron Parish Sheriff's Department suspended their ground search on August 11, 2000.

During the searches, no wreckage or debris from the airplane was located.

Personnel information

According to both the previous aircraft owner and the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot purchased the airplane, and was in Florida on March 31st and April 1st for ground (21.8 hours) and flight (9.8 hours) training in the aircraft. The flight training included approximately 0.8 hours of IMC flying. On April 1st, the pilot received a biennial flight review and an instrument competency endorsement.

A review of the FAA records by the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) revealed that the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate with the airplane single-engine land rating on December 12, 1995. He obtained the instrument rating privileges on September 12, 1997. The pilot also held the multiengine land rating. A third class medical certificate, issued to the pilot on June 23, 1998, had the limitation "must wear corrective lenses."

The NTSB IIC was informed that the pilot's last [current] logbook would have been in the aircraft. The logbook is presumed destroyed.

According to the most recent pilot logbook available to the IIC, as of November 22, 1999, the pilot had accumulated 725.2 hours of total flight time, and 143.0 hours (88.8 hours actual; 54.2 hours simulated) of instrument flight time.

Aircraft information

The airplane was issued an FAA airworthiness certificate on January 7, 1960. It was registered to the current owner on March 24, 2000.

The NTSB IIC was informed that the maintenance records were in the aircraft. They are presumed destroyed.

According to the previous aircraft owner, the aircraft had accumulated a total time in service of approximately 3,250 hours. The engine had accumulated approximately 435 hours since its last overhaul. In January 2000, the last annual inspection was performed. The airplane was not equipped with weather detection/avoidance equipment. The airplane was equipped with a hand held Garmin 90 GPS navigation unit mounted on the center portion of the pilot's control yoke.

There were no aircraft discrepancies reported by the previous owner. The flight instructor reported that no aircraft discrepancies were noted during the training flights.