MIA02FAMS1

The airplane was being ferried from Colombia to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, for maintenance. The pilot had stopped in Providenciales and remained over night prior to initiating the last leg of the trip. The pilot was given an instrument flight rules clearance from Providenciales to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, by controllers at the Providenciales Airport Control Tower, and departed about 0820. At 0823, while climbing through 2,000 feet msl, after departure from Providenciales, the pilot of N3101G made contact with air traffic controllers at the FAA Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. At 0848:51, the controller informed the pilot of N3101G that the flight would have to land in either Nassau or Freeport, Bahamas to clear up a problem with his permission to fly to Patrick Air Force Base. The pilot of N3101G selected Freeport, and was cleared to Freeport. At 0918:39, the pilot of N3101G reported to the controller that he was 83 miles from "Burgo" intersection, level at 10,000 feet, and in heavy rain. At 0920:53, the controller informed the pilot he could not land at Patrick Air Force Base unless he had his permission number. The pilot responded "I can't talk to you I'm very very heavy rain (unintelligible) once I get out of the rain I will (unintelligible)". The controller responded that the flight would have to clear customs at Freeport, and then it could proceed to Patrick Air Force Base. At 0921:47, the pilot of N3101G responded he had customs waiting for him at Patrick Air Force Base. No further transmissions were received from the pilot of N3101G. Search and rescue operations were initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The pilot and aircraft were not located and search operations were suspended on October 6, 2001, at 0050. The GOES-8 satellite infrared image at 0902, showed a large band of clouds extending from south of Cuba, northeast over the Bahamas, and then eastward across the Atlantic Ocean north and northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Several large areas cumulonimbus clouds are embedded in this area. Cloud tops were between 46,000 and 49,000 feet. The GOES-8 visible image for 0932 depicts a cumulonimbus cloud immediately in the vicinity of the last know position of N3101G, which was embedded in a straitform layer of clouds. At the time the flight became missing, SIGMET Alpha 15 was in effect for the last know position of the flight. This SIGMET called for frequent thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 feet. The pilot received a weather package via fax machine prior to departing Providenciales. The weather package called for isolated thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 feet from the departure point through the northern Bahamas.

History of the Flight

On October 1, 2001, a Ayres Corporation, S2RHG-T65, N3101G, registered to the United States Department of State, became missing on a flight from Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, to Patrick, AFB, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane is assumed to be destroyed and the airline transported-rated pilot is assumed to have received fatal injuries. The flight originated from Providenciales, the same day, about 0820 Atlantic standard time.

The airplane was being ferried from Colombia to Patrick Air Force Base for maintenance. The pilot had stopped in Providenciales and remained over night prior to initiating the last leg of the trip. The pilot was given an instrument flight rules clearance from Providenciales to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, by controllers at the Providenciales Airport Control Tower. The flight was cleared from Providenciales to the "MICAS" intersection and then airway "A-555", and to climb and maintain 10,000 feet msl. At 0823, while climbing through 2,000 feet msl, after departure from Providenciales, the pilot of N3101G made contact with air traffic controllers at the FAA Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. The pilot reported that the airplanes transponder was not working. At 0830, the pilot of N3101G reported that he did not have weather radar and asked the controller if he had any information about the weather and which routing would be better. The controller responded that the flight would encounter quite a bit of weather in the area of the "INDEE" intersection. At 0838:23, the pilot of N3101G reported that the flight was level at 10,000 feet and that he was requesting to fly to "Burgo" intersection after reaching "Indee" intersection and then airway "BR 1L" to Patrick Air Force Base. The controller cleared the flight to turn right and intersect airway "BR 1L" and then fly airway "BR 1L" to the "Satellite" non-directional beacon and then direct to Patrick Air Force Base. At 0841:18, the controller cleared the flight direct to the "Burgo" intersection and the rest of the route unchanged.

At 0848:51, the controller informed the pilot of N3101G that the flight would have to land in either Nassau or Freeport, Bahamas, to clear up a problem with his permission to fly to Patrick Air Force Base. The pilot of N3101G selected Freeport, and was cleared to Freeport. At 0918:39, the pilot of N3101G reported to the controller that he was 83 miles from "Burgo" intersection, level at 10,000 feet, and in heavy rain. At 0920:53, the controller informed the pilot he could not land at Patrick Air Force Base unless he had his permission number. The pilot responded "I can't talk to you I'm very very heavy rain (unintelligible) once I get out of the rain I will (unintelligible)". The controller responded that the flight would have to clear customs at Freeport, and then it could proceed to Patrick Air Force Base. At 0921:47, the pilot of N3101G responded he had customs waiting for him at Patrick Air Force Base. No further transmissions were received from the pilot of N3101G. (See Transcripts of Communications).

Search and rescue operations were initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The pilot and aircraft were not located and search operations were suspended on October 6, 2001, at 0050.

Meteorological Information

A meteorological study was conducted by an NTSB Meteorologist. The closest weather reporting facility to the last known position of N3101G was Georgetown, Bahamas, located 120 nautical miles to the west. At 0920, the Georgetown surface weather observation was wind from 300 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 7 miles in moderate rain, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, broken clouds at 3,000 feet, and overcast clouds at 5,000 feet, temperature 25 degrees C, dew point temperature 23 degrees C, altimeter 29.83 inches of Hg.

The 700-mb (10,000 feet) Constant Pressure Chart for 0800, showed a low pressure system over the Maryland coast with a trough of low pressure extending to the south and southwest over Florida and the Bahamas.

The GOES-8 satellite infrared image at 0902, showed a large band of clouds extending from south of Cuba, northeast over the Bahamas, and then eastward across the Atlantic Ocean north and northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Several large areas cumulonimbus clouds are embedded in this area. Cloud tops were between 46,000 and 49,000 feet. The GOES-8 visible image for 0932 depicts a cumulonimbus cloud immediately in the vicinity of the last know position of N3101G, which was embedded in a straitform layer of clouds.

At the time the pilot received a weather briefing package, SIGMET Alpha 13 was in effect which called for frequent thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 feet, for the planned route of flight. At the time the flight became missing, SIGMET Alpha 15 was in effect for the last know position of the flight. This SIGMET called for frequent thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 feet.

The pilot received a weather package via fax machine prior to departing Providenciales. The weather package called for isolated thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 feet from the departure point through the northern Bahamas. (See NTSB Meteorological Study and Pilot Weather Package attached to NTSB Operator Report 6120.1/2).