MIA93FAMS2

The airline transport pilot-in-command departed on a VFR flight plan from miami, Florida, to marco island, Florida, and return to miami, Florida. The airplane did not arrive at the intermediate stop. The airplane damage and personnel injury classifications are presumed.

On September 30, 1993, a Cessna 152, N93261, registered to Miller and Spanos Aircraft Sales, operated by Silver Express Co., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, departed Tamiami Airport, Miami, Florida, at an undetermined time. The airplane was on a VFR flight plan and the pilot activated the flight plan in the air at 1110 eastern daylight time. The route of flight was from Tamiami Airport to Marko Island Airport and return to Tamiami Airport. The airplane did not arrive at the intermediate stop or destination airport. The airplane is missing and is presumed destroyed. The airline transport pilot-in-command is missing and is presumed fatally injured.

The pilot-in-command, Ivan P. Gandon, indicated on the flight plan on file with Miami International Flight Service Station that he had 4 hours of fuel on board the airplane when he departed Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport. Review of refueling records on file with Silver Express revealed the airplane was last refueled on September 29, 1993. The airplane was flown in morning on September 30, 1993, for 1.3 hours. Refueling records indicate the airplane was not refueled before the airplane departed.

The FAA airport traffic manager for Tamiami Tower stated in an interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge that the local south controller at Tamiami Tower informed him that N93261 departed from runway 09L. The exact time of departure could not be determined due to the recording tape for tower and ground control being inoperative.

A certified flight instructor employed by Silver Express stated in a written statement, "On September 30, 1993 at approximately 1200 I was flying northwest of Homestead General Airport and heard N93261 attempting to contact Silver Express on the unicom frequency. The person called about four times and he did not sound like he was in distress." There were no other known reported radio communications with N93261.

An alert notice was originated by FAA Miami International Flight Service Station at 1930 UTC (1530 eastern daylight time). The airplane was not located.

Review of the Discrete Radar Tracking System, National Track Analysis Program (NTAP) revealed no radar data that could be attributed to the accident airplane.

The Civil Air Patrol was contacted by the Florida Wing Alerting Officer to conduct search operations for the missing airplane at about 1600 on September 30, 1993. The search was terminated by the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Langely Air Force Base, Virginia, on October 12, 1993.