Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Sonex Aircraft Sonex, N229P: Fatal accident occurred April 05, 2014 in Dunnellon, Florida

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final Report: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 

National Transportation Safety Board - Docket And Docket Items: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

National Transportation Safety Board  -  Aviation Accident Data Summary: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
  
NTSB Identification: ERA14FA464
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 05, 2014 in Dunnellon, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/23/2016
Aircraft: FORTUNA DAVE SONEX, registration: N229P
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. Witnesses at the airport reported that they observed the airplane depart and climb out and that everything appeared to be normal. The airplane proceeded west of the departure end of the runway, made a left climbing turn, and then proceeded in a southerly direction. GPS data showed that the airplane then climbed to about 817 ft mean sea level, which was below the floor of available radar coverage. The airplane then continued in a southerly heading while descending with the ground speed increasing until about 2 minutes 30 seconds after takeoff, at which point the airplane made a right 270-degree turn for unknown reasons. The airplane continued to descend during controlled flight. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and the ground and then came to rest inverted about 1.7 nautical miles and 187 degrees from the departure end of the departure runway. No distress call was received from the pilot. 

About 2 days later, an employee of the intended arrival airport called the departure airport and reported the airplane overdue. Subsequently that same day, the Civil Air Patrol, multiple local and state agencies, the pilot’s son, and several privately operated aircraft began search operations; however, despite several weeks of ongoing search efforts, the airplane was not located. About 6 months later, the inverted wreckage was spotted by an individual in a heavily wooded area. No emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was ever received, and the ELT switch was found in the “off” position. The investigation determined that miscommunications, which led to delayed coordination, occurred between the Civil Air Patrol and the multiple local and state agencies during the initial search efforts. The delayed coordination between the response agencies, the nonactivation of the ELT, and the airplane’s flight below radar coverage hampered the search efforts. However, the accident was not survivable; therefore, these issues did not contribute to the pilot’s death. Examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of fire. The engine, which had separated during the impact sequence, exhibited heat damage, which precluded testing of its operability. However, the No. 3 cylinder was found to have low compression, which likely existed when the flight departed. Full flight control continuity was confirmed, but the flap extension could not be determined. Although a hole was noted in a fuel supply line immediately adjacent to an engine control cable, extensive corrosion precluded a determination of whether the hole was preexisting or occurred postimpact.

Witnesses reported that the canopy opened while the pilot was taxiing to begin the flight, and it was found unlatched. However, the pilot was able to relatch it for taxi. Given that the fuel shutoff was found in the “off” position, it is likely that the pilot was preparing for a forced landing and unlatched the canopy at that time rather than it inadvertently becoming unlatched in flight. Based on the available evidence, the reason for the forced landing could not be determined.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The in-flight collision with a tree in a heavily wooded area during controlled flight while the pilot was attempting a forced landing for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. Contributing to the delay in locating the wreckage were the nonactivation of the emergency locator transmitter and delayed coordination between the Civil Air Patrol and multiple local and state agencies.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 5, 2014, about 1359 eastern daylight time, a Fortuna Sonex, N229P, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a heavily wooded area about 2.0 nautical miles south-southwest of the Marion County Airport (X35) Dunnellon, Florida. The private pilot, the sole occupant was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight destined for Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated about 1357.

Personnel at X35 reported that while attempting to taxi from the parking spot after power application, the canopy opened up, which one individual described as occurring "violently" enough to bend the frame, but not enough to rip it loose from the attachment side. The engine was secured and the pilot exited the airplane and informed another individual that he forgot to latch it. The pilot was assisted with shutting the canopy which was able to be fully lowered initially, and then latched in the taxi position for taxiing. The pilot was informed to check the canopy before takeoff and if it did not secure, to return and, "we will fix it." The engine was restarted, and the pilot was observed taxiing to runway 28 where he performed an engine run-up. The airplane was estimated to depart between 1353 and 1358, and the climb out and speed appeared normal. The airplane was observed making a crosswind turn to the south and leveled the wings then went out of view about 5 minutes later flying in a southerly direction.

A pilot who departed X35 about 7 minutes before the accident pilot departed stated that he did not hear any radio calls from the pilot of the accident airplane.

On April 7, 2014, about 1030, an individual at the intended destination airport contacted an individual at the departure airport and advised him that the airplane did not arrive. The Marion County Sheriff's Office was contacted the same day, and personnel of that organization contacted the X35 airport manager who relayed the circumstances of the departure of the accident airplane.

The Civil Air Patrol was notified of the missing airplane on April 7, 2014, at 1300 EDT and assigned mission number 14M-0150. A search for the airplane was initiated by the Civil Air Patrol, and Sherriff Departments from the following counties: Citrus, Marion, Hernando, Sumpter and Lake City. A search for the missing airplane was also performed by personnel from Marion County Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The ground and aerial based searches were negative. Additional aerial and ground based searches of the area were performed by personnel from Marion County Sheriff's Office the week of April 22nd through 26th, and April 25th and 26th, respectively; no emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was ever received.

Multiple aerial searches were performed by the pilot's son which included the area where the airplane actually crashed, but the results were negative. Additionally, aerial searches were also performed by pilot's of airplanes based at X35 and also at ZPH.

On October 19, 2014, an individual walking in the area spotted the wreckage and contacted law enforcement.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 74, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and airplane single engine sea ratings; the single engine land rating was first issued on November 3, 1968. He was issued a 3rd class medical certificate on June 7, 2007, with limitations, "Not valid for any class after 06/30/2008[.] Must wear lenses for distant, have glasses for near vision."

A review of the application for the pilot's last medical revealed he listed a total time of 1,504 hours, and 20 hours in the last 6 months.

The pilot's son reported that his father's most recent pilot logbook was not located; however, he reported having a conversation with his father in 2008, and recalled his father telling him he had 1,700 hours at that time. He also estimated that his father had "well over 2,000 hours." The son also reported that he last spoke with his father the day before, and during that conversation his father relayed to him about attending a fly-in luncheon the next day; his father seemed to be in good spirits. A record of conversation with the pilot's son is contained in the NTSB public docket.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The amateur built Sonex airplane was manufactured in 2001, and was designated serial number 018. It was powered by a Jabiru 2200 engine and equipped with a fixed pitch Sensenich propeller.

By design, the airplane's fuel system consisted of a single fuel tank installed in the cockpit forward of the firewall, which has a fuel shutoff valve installed adjacent to the tank outlet fitting. There is no provision for an additional fuel shutoff valve on the instrument panel. The fuel is routed from the tank to a firewall fitting via an aluminum tube, and then to the fuel strainer also via an aluminum tube. Fuel then flows via flexible hoses to the auxiliary fuel pump, engine-driven fuel pump, then to the carburetor.

The accident airplane's fuel supply consisted of a shutoff valve installed at the tank outlet, and an aluminum tube was routed from the fuel tank to a shutoff valve installed on the instrument panel. An aluminum tube was installed between the shutoff valve and the fuel strainer, and flexible hoses were installed from the outlet of the fuel strainer to the auxiliary fuel pump, engine-driven fuel pump, and then forward to the carburetor.

The pilot's son reported that the maintenance records were not located; however, he did locate a logbook entry from 2011, that contained writing consisting of editing associated with a condition inspection dated April 2, 2013. The total time was written as 637.2, and the tachometer time was written as 21.9. A copy of the entry is contained in the NTSB public docket.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A surface observation weather report taken at Ocala Municipal Airport (OCF) at 1350, or approximately 9 minutes before the accident, indicates the wind was from 190 degrees at 6 knots, the visibility was 10 statute miles, broken clouds existed at 3,300 feet. The temperature and dew point were 27 and 17 degrees Celsius, respectively, and the altimeter setting was 30.04 inches of Mercury. The accident site was located about 12 nautical miles and 225 degrees from OCF.

COMMUNICATIONS

The pilot was not in contact with any FAA air traffic control facility at the time of the accident.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The Marion County Airport is equipped in part with runway 10/28 (previously identified as 9/27) which changed in December 2012. The airport common traffic advisory frequency is 122.8 MHz, which is not recorded, and at the time of departure was not monitored by airport personnel.

FLIGHT RECORDERS

The airplane was equipped with an Electronics International R-1-4-G30R330 tachometer and a Grand Rapids Technologies, Inc., Model 2000 Engine Information System (EIS). A Garmin GPSmap 396 GPS receiver and a Garmin D2 Pilot watch were found at the accident site. All identified components were recovered and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division for read-out.

According to the NTSB Electronic Devices Specialist's Factual Report, it was not possible to correlate the RPM history from the electronic tachometer with the GPS data because the large interval between sample rate and the unknown time when the GPS receiver was first powered relative to the tachometer. The last recorded tachometer reading of 2,760 rpm occurred at 8:09 elapsed time since instrument power up. No information was retrieved from the EIS, but data was downloaded from the GPSMAP 396 receiver. Data associated with the accident flight revealed the recording began at 1351:00, and depicted the airplane taxiing to the approach end of runway 28. The airplane was noted to be accelerating on the runway at 1357:26, and continue the takeoff. When the flight was west of the departure end of the runway, at 1358:29, the airplane made a left climbing turn and proceeded in a southerly direction attaining the maximum GPS altitude of 817 feet mean sea level (msl). Between 1359:16, and 1359:24, the airplane continued on a southerly heading but descended from 817 feet to 804 feet msl. The airplane continued in a southerly heading while descending with an increasing ground speed until about 1359:35, then a right 270 degree turn was initiated. The airplane then proceeded in a southerly direction while descending, and the last GPS target at 1359:53, was located at 29.03224 degrees North latitude and 082.3862 degrees West longitude. The airplane at that time was flying at 154 feet GPS altitude on a southerly heading at 105 knots groundspeed. The accident site was located 0.11 nautical mile and 227 degrees from the last GPS data point. A copy of the report and downloaded data are contained in the NTSB public docket.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane crashed in the Halpata Tastanaki Preserve managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District; the farthest most identified debris associated with the airplane away from the main wreckage consisted of a checklist which was located at 29 degrees 01.909 minutes North latitude and 082 degrees 23.206 minutes West longitude, or about 450 feet and 042 degrees from the main wreckage location. Further inspection of the accident site area revealed a separated section of the right wing containing the aileron was located in close proximity to the main wreckage; the separated wing section was located at 29 degrees 01.859 minutes North latitude and 082 degrees 23.261 degrees West longitude. The main wreckage consisting of the fuselage, full section of left wing, section of right wing, and empennage was located inverted on a magnetic heading of approximately 268 degrees at 29 degrees 01.854 minutes North latitude and 082 degrees 23.266 minutes West longitude. That location when plotted was located approximately 1.71 nautical miles and 187 degrees from the departure end of runway 28. The heading from the checklist to the main wreckage was approximately 223 degrees, with pieces of the canopy slightly west of the line between the 2 points.

Examination of the uprighted wreckage revealed the engine was separated and came to rest inverted forward of the resting position of the main wreckage; the engine sustained heat damage.

Examination of the wreckage revealed all components necessary to sustain flight were attached or in close proximity to the resting position of the main wreckage. There was no evidence of pre or postimpact fire to any observed airframe components, including the firewall.

Examination of the left wing revealed it was full span and the aileron and flap remained attached. The leading edge exhibited impact damage consistent with tree contact between 45 and 89 inches outboard of the wing root. The right wing exhibited leading edge impact damage consistent with tree contacts centered at 17 inches and 68 inches outboard of the wing root. The wing was fractured at the outer tree strike location and the outer portion of the wing contained the aileron; the aileron push/pull rod was fractured in bending overload at the outer wing fracture location. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained attached and the rudder, elevator, and elevator trim tab remained attached. Flight control continuity was confirmed for roll, pitch, and yaw from each respective flight control surface to each cockpit control. The flaps were extended an unknown amount and the flap selector was positioned full aft.

Examination of the cockpit revealed the master switch was down, the AV/EIS switch was down, and the Strobe/Nav switch was in the up position. The elevator trim tab selector was positioned full forward and the elevator trim tab was full tab trailing edge down. A shutoff valve installed on the outlet fitting of fuel tank was in the on position; the fitting was fractured at the attach point of the fuel tank. The fuel supply line from the fuel tank to a shutoff valve mounted on the instrument panel was fractured at the inlet of the fuel shutoff valve, and the fuel supply line from the outlet of the fuel shutoff valve to the firewall fitting was fractured approximately 12.5 inches from the fuel shutoff valve, or adjacent to the B-nut at the firewall. A small diameter hole was noted in the line approximately 1 inch from the fracture point, and heavy corrosion was noted on the exterior surface of the line. Cracks were noted on one side of the line from the fracture point parallel to the line, and a crack was noted intersecting the hole perpendicular to the line. The carburetor heat control cable was noted to be in close proximity to the fracture point of the fuel line, which was retained for further investigation. The fuel shutoff valve at the instrument panel was confirmed to be in the "OFF" position, which agreed with the as-found position of the handle.

Examination of the canopy revealed the frame and Plexiglas pieces were fragmented and were found both immediately adjacent to the main wreckage and also along the path. The canopy remained structurally attached by the hinge on the right side, while the airframe structure adjacent to the lower portion of the frame on the left side was heavily impact damaged. The corresponding portion of the canopy frame was nearly straight and did not exhibit significant impact damage. Further examination of the canopy revealed it contained forward and aft latches each containing 2 latch positions (taxi and takeoff). Examination of each latch revealed no evidence of significant impact damage or deformation. Examination of the mating section of the airframe revealed no evidence of significant damage to either slot, and no damage was noted to the lower surface of the phenolic blocks beneath the airframe structure.

Further examination of the fuel supply system revealed residual 100 low lead fuel was noted between the fuel strainer and outlet of the auxiliary fuel pump. The bowl of the fuel strainer was removed and the screen was clean; corrosion was noted at the bottom of the bowl. The auxiliary fuel pump checked satisfactory when electrically tested.

Examination of the Ameri-King Corporation Model AK-450 emergency locator transmitter (ELT) revealed it was separated from its mounting location but remained attached to the airplane by the antenna connection. The switch was found in the off position. Examination of the ELT mounting bracket installed on the right side of the airplane aft of the seat and adjacent to the fuselage sidewall, parallel to the wings, revealed the lower portion of the bracket was secured by 3 rivets to a horizontal oriented piece of aluminum, which was secured to a longeron on the right side by rivets. The piece of aluminum did not exhibit any raised edges on any of the sides; however, the right side was immediately adjacent to the right fuselage skin. Examination of the ELT mounting bracket revealed the latch was disconnected, with no evidence of damage to the latch mechanism, and the lower horizontal portion attached to an aluminum plate exhibited slight deformation near the fuselage sidewall skin. The separated ELT was re-positioned into the bracket properly oriented for direction of flight and the latch was closed and secured, which revealed minimal force was required to dislodge the ELT from the bracket. Further, the lack of a raised edge on the forward side of the aluminum plate allowed the ELT to slide completely out of the bracket and away from the aluminum plate. Field testing of the ELT revealed it operated but the signal was weak. A sticker on the exterior surface of the ELT indicates "Replace Main Batteries by Date: 5-16." The ELT was retained for further examination.

Examination of the engine revealed the propeller and portion of engine mount remained attached, but the engine mount and one propeller blade were fractured. Heat damage was noted to the engine-driven fuel pump, ignition system components, and alternator, which precluded testing. Both ignition coils which remained attached to the alternator mount plate were heat damaged which precluded testing. The alternator mount plate was removed to facilitate hand rotation of the propeller in the normal direction of rotation. Crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity was confirmed to all cylinders, the rear of the engine, and to the engine-driven fuel pump drive; however, no suction and compression was noted at the No. 3 cylinder during hand rotation of the propeller. The No.3 cylinder was removed and the ring gaps of both compression rings were nearly aligned. The carburetor which separated from the engine but remained attached to the airframe by the control cable was dirt contaminated; however, there was no evidence of fire damage. The inlet fitting of the carburetor was open to the environment, and removal of the carburetor bowl revealed evidence of internal corrosion.

Examination of the propeller revealed one blade was full span and exhibited cracks on the leading edge near the hub between 3 and 16 inches inboard from the blade tip and also near the hub, while the other blade was fracture and heat damaged about 11 inches outboard from the hub. A piece of the fractured blade containing an emblem of the manufacturer consisting of the middle section of the blade was located at the accident site area.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

A postmortem examination of the remains of the pilot was performed by the District Five Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death was listed as "Multiple blunt force injuries due to airplane crash."

Forensic toxicology testing was not performed.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The NTSB retained ELT was sent to the FAA Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office for examination and testing at the manufacturer's facility with FAA oversight. Testing of the ELT consisted of a transmitter functional test, periodic maintenance test, acceptance test report (ATP), and measurement of the voltage of the alkaline batteries; the testing was performed on May 27, 2015. During the transmitter functional test, a swept tone signal was barely audibly heard and faded out during the first test. A subsequent test no tone was heard. During the periodic maintenance test steps 1 through 3 could not be performed as they are done on aircraft, but during test of the beacon the same weak swept tone response for the tests (functional and G-switch) was noted; the signal power was measured to be 21.3 dBM (minimum specification is 17.0 dBM). The ELT main unit expiration date was listed as May 16, 2011. All batteries voltage measured 1.565 volts or higher, and no evidence of battery leakage was noted; all batteries replace date were March 2016. A functional test of the G-switch was performed with the ELT main unit switch in the arm position and rapid forward and aft movement of the ELT; the main unit light illuminated as expected and a very weak swept tone was heard. A copy of the report from FAA is contained in the NTSB public docket.

A review of the installation and operation manual instructions by the ELT manufacturer indicates the specified mounting tray consists of a flat piece with raised edges on the forward and aft sides of the tray extending across the width of the tray, and raised edges on both sides of the tray extend for a certain length of the tray. The tray by design is intended to prevent movement of the ELT out of the tray as a result of impact forces.

Examination of the fractured fuel supply line from the fuel shutoff valve on the instrument panel to a fitting installed on the firewall was performed by the NTSB Materials Laboratory located in Washington, D.C. The results of the examination revealed severe pitting corrosion of both the tube and cockpit side fittings in the area of separation. The corrosion had removed significant material from the surfaces of the fittings and from both the exterior and interior surfaces of the tube. No fracture features were present on the tube separation. A hole and cracks were also apparent adjacent to the separation, and were consistent with corrosion penetration. The remaining length of the cockpit side tube showed lesser amounts of corrosion, and the engine side fuel tube showed little or no corrosion. A copy of the NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report is contained in the NTSB public docket.

ADDITIONAL DATA/INFORMATION

Search and Rescue

According to the NTSB Survival Factors Specialist's Factual Report, during a search for the missing airplane, the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) provided video of the Tampa area radar to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Incident Commander. During the search process, two incident command centers were established. The first incident command center for the Citrus County Sheriff's Office was established at the Homosassa fire station, and consisted of multiple local and state agencies. The second incident command center for the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was located in Bradenton, Florida, which was nearly 1.5 hours away. The report further indicates that an air search was performed by the Marion County special operations unit of the area south of the departure airport; however, the wreckage was not visually spotted. A copy of the report is contained in the NTSB public docket.

During the search for the missing airplane, or about 3 days after the missing airplane was reported, a detective with the Citrus County Sheriff's contacted the NTSB and relayed that he was at the incident command post at the Homosassa fire station with multiple local and state agencies, and about 100 personnel involved in a ground based search for the missing flight. The detective stated that he felt they were not looking in the correct area and the personnel from the CAP were not located at their command post. He also indicated he felt there was miscommunication among the multiple agencies and the CAP because CAP was located at a different location. The individual also expressed frustration to NTSB about the lack of coordination with AFRCC, and the person who was trying the find the airplane based on radar data. Subsequently, the NTSB put the 2 individuals in contact with each other. Copies of the NTSB Record of Conversations with the individuals are contained in the NTSB public docket.

The wreckage was subsequently located beneath the area that was aerially searched by the special operations unit of the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Radar Data

According to the NTSB Radar Summary, empirical radar target data for the departure airport information indicates that the floor of radar coverage was between 1,000 and 1,200 feet mean sea level. Correlating of recorded GPS data with radar data revealed radar data does not match the recorded GPS data; therefore, the accident airplane did not climb high enough to be seen by the radar. A copy of the radar summary and radar used for it is contained in the NTSB public docket.


http://dms.ntsb.gov

NTSB Identification: ERA14FA464 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 05, 2014 in Dunnellon, FL
Aircraft: FORTUNA DAVE SONEX, registration: N229P
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On April 5, 2014, a Fortuna Sonex, N229P, did not arrive at its intended destination and was reported overdue/missing on April 7, 2014. A private pilot was on board and his injury is unknown. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated about 1355 eastern daylight time from Marion County Airport (X35), Dunnellon, Florida, and was destined for Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida. An emergency locator beacon signal has not been reported.

Personnel at X35 reported observing the airplane depart from runway 28, momentarily lost sight due to obstructions, then noted the airplane proceeding in a southerly direction. The individuals lost sight of the airplane as it continued south.


Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
 
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE ISSUED APRIL 7. WRECKAGE LOCATED OCTOBER 19 IN A WOODED AREA NEAR DONNELLON, FL 

  
FAA Flight Standards District Office:     FAA Orlando FSDO-15


 Sonex Aircraft Sonex, N229P:  http://registry.faa.gov/N229P

NTSB Identification: ERA14FAMS1 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 05, 2014 in Unknown, UN
Aircraft: FORTUNA DAVE SONEX, registration: N229P
Injuries: Unavailable

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On April 5, 2014, a Fortuna Sonex, N229P, did not arrive at its intended destination and was reported overdue/missing on April 7, 2014. A private pilot was on board and his injury is unknown. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated about 1355 eastern daylight time from Marion County Airport (X35), Dunnellon, Florida, and was destined for Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida. An emergency locator beacon signal has not been reported.

Personnel at X35 reported observing the airplane depart from runway 28, momentarily lost sight due to obstructions, then noted the airplane proceeding in a southerly direction. The individuals lost sight of the airplane as it continued south.



Theodore Weiss 


Marion County, Florida -- The plane belonging to a Zephyrhills man who disappeared back in April has been found in Marion County, with skeletal remains inside.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office says a man hiking in the woods at the Pruitt Trailhead found the site of the crashed plane on Sunday night.

The aircraft was last known to be piloted by Theodore Weiss, who vanished with his plane on April 5. Deputies have not yet been able to confirm if the remains are Weiss'.

Weiss was last seen taking off from Dunnellon Airport on Saturday, April 5. He never arrived at his destination in Zephyrhills.

See Also: Search for missing plane raises more questions than answers

When Weiss went missing, dozens of agencies participated in the search. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office and the Hernando County Sheriff's Office searched 41,000 acres of forest area between the Dunnellon Airport and Zephyrhills, but could not find Weiss or his plane.

The NTSB and the FAA have been notified and will be arriving on scene to begin their investigation.

10 News will have more on this developing story.


Posted: 9:43 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 

Man finds plane, skeletal remains in Marion County woods

MARION COUNTY, Fla. —

A man walking through the woods at the Pruitt Trailhead found the site of a plane crash, along with skeletal remains, said the Marion County Sheriff's Office Monday.

Authorities said the plane was last piloted by Theodore Weiss, who was reported missing, along with his plane, on April 5, 2014.

Authorities said they have not yet confirmed that the remains that were found were Weiss'.

Weiss was last seen departing from the Dunnellon airport on Saturday, April 5 and never arrived at his intended destination in Zephyrhills.

The plane that was found Sunday night was a white, experimental-type, two seat, low-wing aircraft with a green stripe and "N229P" on the tail section.

When Weiss was reported missing, dozens of agencies participated in the search, which extended through 41,000 acres of forest area between the Dunnellon airport and Zephyrhills.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been notified and are investigating.


- Source:  http://www.wftv.com

Theodore T. “Teddy” Weiss
 




















Law enforcement authorities and volunteers still are working to find a pilot and airplane that have been missing since April 5.

Theordore T. “Teddy” Weiss, 74, left the Dunnellon/Marion County Airport that day around 2 p.m., bound for Zephyrhills. He never arrived at his intended destination.

Weiss is a resident of Zephyrhills and New York. He is an experienced pilot who has made trips to and from Dunnellon many times.

Intensive ground and air searches have not yielded any clues. Although ground searches have been suspended at the present time, volunteers with the Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol are continuing to fly over different areas trying to locate the fixed-wing, single-engine Sonex two-seater.

They will fly Thursday and again Friday, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. If the patrol finds anything that needs checking out, a ground crew will be dispatched.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office Detective T.J. Watts, who is leading the local investigation, flew last week with his agency’s aviation unit looking for the aircraft. Watts said they flew over Dunnellon and into Citrus County, particularly examining swampy areas.

The MCSO Field Force Unit also has rechecked trails from the airport to the county line, using all-terrain vehicles.

Citrus and Hernando officials, who had organized searches in the Withlacoochee State Forest, said they have suspended efforts until they receive any new information.

Local officials are asking anyone who goes on the Withlacoochee River to be on the lookout for unusual items or objects in the water. Those who live near the water are asked to report any broken trees or limbs, or other unusual sights.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently released a preliminary, two-paragraph report that states that a flight plan was not filed and that there has been no report of an emergency locator beacon signal.

People at the airport who saw the plane take off told officials it flew off Runway 28 and went out of sight in southerly direction.

Authorities said there has not been any activity on Weiss’ debit or credit cards since he was reported missing.

Anyone with any information can call Watts at 425-3860.

http://www.ocala.com

Updated: Tuesday, April 22 2014, 05:09 AM EDT 

 Lecanto, Fla. -- It's been more than two weeks since a local pilot went missing in the skies over western Central Florida. Ted Weiss, 74, of Hopewell, took off from the Marion County Airport on April 5 after an experimental plane meeting. Headed back to his vacation home in Zypherhills, the roughly 77-mile trip should have taken about 40 minutes, but Weiss never made it to his destination. A veteran pilot, Weiss has been flying for 50 years, and fellow pilots at the Hopewell Airpark said he is an expert mechanic. They have no idea what could have happened to Weiss or his Sonex plane.

A massive multi-agency search, both on the ground and in the air, hasn't turned up any clues about his disappearance. It is a mystery that's captivated communities both in Florida and Hopewell. "

Everybody is just sort of wondering what's going on, you know what happened to him," said Steven Fiester, Weiss' neighbor. 

Fiester watches over the pilot's home while he winters in Florida. Usually, Weiss comes back to Ontario County in May, but now Fiester doesn't know if he'll ever see his friend again. "He flew through a dead spot between the radars and they lost him and they haven't been able to find his wreckage or him or anything," said Fiester. In between two Florida counties, Weiss flew into a dead zone where there is no radar. 

The aircraft was last detected somewhere over Withlacoochee State Forest, a densely wooded area that spans more than 150,000 acres. It's an area investigators said a small plane could easily disappear with hardly a trace, comparing the search to finding a needle in a haystack.

Fiester said he's heard from Wiess' friend in Florida that tried to volunteer to help in the search but were turned away because of the dangerous terrain. "They said that they can't get through the wildlife refuge down there," Fiester said. "They have to use machetes just to get the horses through." 

Authorities used machetes to comb 3,000 to 4,000 acres of thick woods, but on April 12, five days into the search, investigators pulled out of the forest and cancelled the ground search. While investigators said they've exhausted their efforts on foot, air searches will continue with new ground searches to be conducted as needed. More than 1,000 miles away, friends said they feel helpless as they continue to hold onto hope that Weiss will return to his home Hopewell. Fiester said waiting for answers from Florida has been difficult. "It's just kind of strange, you know," he said, "you know him and to not know where he is or what's going on."

Source:    http://www.13wham.com


Theodore (Teddy) Weiss of Hopewell is an experienced pilot who has not been seen since he departed Dunnellon Airport in Florida on April 5. The plane pictured here is not the aircraft he was flying when he was last seen.   Submitted by Lloyd Wade 


Posted Apr. 20, 2014 @ 6:00 am

Canandaigua, N.Y.

HOPEWELL — Longtime Hopewell resident and pilot Theodore (Teddy) Weiss has been flying planes for the last 50 years. On April 5, the 74-year-old aviator climbed into the cockpit of a two-seat, low-wing plane and departed from Dunnellon Airport in Florida, some 77 miles north of his winter residence in Zephyrhills. He has not been seen or heard from since.

On April 8, the airport manager reported Weiss missing, saying he had never arrived at his destination in Zephyrhills. The Marion County Sheriff's Office launched a massive, multi-agency investigation and search that scoured 3,000 to 4,000 acres of thick woods with big overlaying trees. From the air and on the ground, rescue personnel searched for the plane, described as a white experimental-type aircraft with a green stripe and "N229P" on the tail section.

Now, more than two weeks after the day he was last seen, Weiss is still missing. Radar last detected the aircraft somewhere over the Citrus County or Hernando County portion of the densely wooded 157,479-acre Withlacoochee State Forest in central western Florida.

“We have no updates at this point,” said Captain James Pogue, of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. “Civil Air Patrol reported an airplane, a flight path, and showed how it was flying low. Hernando and Citrus counties were handling the search efforts. They did quite an extensive search in their counties based on radar information.”

A search command post was set up at the Homosassa Fire Department to organize efforts by law enforcement officers and civilian volunteers from multiple agencies, including the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Marion County Fire and Rescue, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Hernando County Fire and Rescue, Hernando County Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, Sumter Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Florida Water Management District, Sarasota K-9 Search and Rescue, and Hernando County State Emergency Management.

Weiss’ longtime friend and fellow pilot, Lloyd Wade of Canandaigua, watches the calendar and grows more anxious with each passing day.

"I have known him about 15 years,” said Wade. “We fly together — I've flown with him down in Florida. He’s very experienced and knows what he’s doing.”

Wade said his friend has been manning a cockpit for five decades, and has even built three or four aircraft on his own.

“I believe he owns a number of aircraft right now,” said Wade, “more than one in Florida, one in Chapin, and one in South Carolina.”

On April 12, after five days of intensive ground and air search, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office announced that the combined Unified Ground Search Teams had suspended their ground search effort.

“Air searches will continue and new ground search requests will be investigated as needed,” stated Denise Moloney in a formal press release. “Based upon the information received from the lead investigative agency and the radar data analyzed by the Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Air Force, we feel that we have exhausted our efforts and diligently searched our ground search area.”

Questions regarding the ongoing missing-person investigation may be referred to Captain James Pogue of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at (352) 368-3527, or (352) 266-7048, or jpogue@marionso.com.

Source:   http://www.mpnnow.com








(Theodore Weiss pictured in red shirt) 



 Citrus County Sheriff's Office
Commander Buddy Grant briefs several media outlets about the latest on the search for the missing pilot.












 Sonex Aircraft Sonex, N229P




April 12 - Both Command Post Captains went up in a helicopter this afternoon to get a view of the search area. 


WEEKI WACHEE — A renewed search in Hernando County for missing Zephyrhills pilot Theodore Weiss was called off Tuesday afternoon after searchers said they had exhausted all leads.

Hernando County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Denise Moloney said that 19 searchers from the Hernando Sheriff's Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service spent several hours combing the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area in an area of dense forest near U.S. 19 and Centralia Road, north of Weeki Wachee, in response to signals from an emergency locator transmitter, or ELT.

Over the weekend, Civil Air Patrol pilots began picking up weak and erratic signals that they thought could be coming from Weiss' missing aircraft. Weiss, 74, was reported missing on April 7. He had taken off from Dunnellon/Marion County Airport in a small kit plane two days earlier but never arrived at his destination in Pasco County.

His small, white and green two-seat Sonex plane disappeared from radar over the Withlacoochee State Forest. Searchers spent six days searching the woods of Citrus and Hernando counties but found no trace of the pilot or his plane. The Hernando Sheriff's Office suspended the ground search on Saturday evening.

According to Maj. Joseph Tomasone, a spokesman for the Florida wing of the Civil Air Patrol, pilots in recent days had detected several signals from ELTs in the area, including a weak and intermittent signal believed to be coming from somewhere within Chassahowitzka, several miles west of the original search area. Tomasone said the signal could be from the missing plane, but he couldn't be certain. A weak signal is indicative of an ELT with a very low battery, he said.

Given the weak signal and dense forest, finding the source would be a tall order, Tomasone said.

Moloney said the Sheriff's Office would continue to track down any leads it receives.



“The combined Unified Ground Search Teams have suspended the ground search effort at this time,” according to a news release sent today by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, which was the lead agency in the search for Theodore Weiss, 74, who disappeared last weekend.

“Air searches will continue and new ground search requests will be investigated as needed,” the release said. “Based upon the information received from the lead investigative agency and the radar data analyzed by the Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Air Force, we feel that we have exhausted our efforts and diligently searched our ground search area.”

Multiple law enforcement and rescue agencies were involved in the search for Weiss, whose two-seater, experimental-type plane disappeared after he left the Dunnellon Airport in Marion County April 5, en route to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

When he didn’t return home, worried friends went to the Zephyrhills airport where they found his car still parked and his airplane hangar empty, said Mike Handrahan, manager of the Zephyrhills airport. They then reported Weiss missing, he said.

Weiss had been in Marion County for the second annual Spring Sonex Fest sponsored by the Florida Sonex Association, of which he is a member, said Maj. Joseph Tomasone of the Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Weiss’ airplane is a Sonex kit plane.




 LECANTO — Lt. Steve Vitt said he seldom had encountered vegetation as thick and arduous as what he rode through Thursday as his team searched for missing 74-year-old pilot Theodore Weiss of Zephyrhills.  

At times, Vitt, who commands the volunteer Citrus County Sheriff's Office mounted posse, and the others were forced to dismount and use machetes to hack away the thick vines that ensnared their horses.

"It's really made for some tough going for us," Vitt said. "You don't move very fast through stuff like that."

In the fourth day of their search for the missing pilot, crews concentrated on an area of the Withlacoochee State Forest east of County Road 491 and north of County Road 480 in south Citrus County.

One of the most densely wooded areas of the Citrus Tract of the forest, with large stands of pine, oak and cypress trees, some sections are so remote that avid hikers and trail horse riders rarely visit there. And it's the kind of place that a small plane could easily disappear with hardly a trace, said Sheriff's Office Lt. Buddy Grant.

"Talk about a needle in a haystack," Grant said as he pointed to a map of the roughly 5- by 10-mile swath that crews began searching Monday.

Between 120 and 135 searchers — including law enforcement personnel from Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, Levy and Marion counties; the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida Forest Service — have concentrated their efforts in an area authorities believe to be the likely route Weiss would have taken from Dunnellon/Marion County Airport, from which he departed on Saturday, to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Weiss' plane was reported missing after worried friends went to the Zephyrhills airport and found his car still parked there and his airplane hangar empty. Grant said that according to information from the Civil Air Patrol, radar in Gainesville and Tampa reaches sections of Weiss' likely route, but neither radar system is capable of capturing planes in a "dead zone" over a section of the forest.

"It's a lot of area that's not covered by radar, and a place where we thought we should look first," Grant said of the location where the search has been taking place.

Friends have described Weiss as an experienced pilot who frequently flew to New York, where he lives part of the year. The small, single-engine Sonex two-seater craft is described as a popular "kit" plane that was built by hand in the early 2000s by Dave Fortuna, a pastor in Louisiana. He sold the aircraft to a buyer from Atlanta in 2003.

According to Maj. Joseph Tomasone of the Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, Weiss had been in Marion County for the second annual Spring Sonex Fest, sponsored by the Florida Sonex Association, of which he is a member.

Hernando County sheriff's spokeswoman Denise Moloney said Thursday that her agency will take the lead role in the search as of 8 a.m. Friday. The command post,, however, will remain at the Homosassa Fire Department on S Lecanto Highway in Lecanto.


http://www.tampabay.com


Lecanto, Florida -- Right now, more than 125 people are scouring some of the thickest woods in Florida searching for missing pilot Theodore Weiss.  

Investigators believe his small plane likely went down Saturday in the Withlacoochee State Forest in Citrus County after he left Dunnellon Airport near Ocala, heading for Zephyrhills.

The huge effort to find the pilot and his plane is based out of a command post on the edge of the forest in Lecanto.

Teams there have come from all over, including firefighters from Ocala and deputies from places closer to home like Spring Hill.

Given orders and search areas just after sunrise, more than 100 people from eight public agencies fanned out.

They need to cover 40,000 acres of state forest. It's the area Ted Weiss was crossing when his experimental plane vanished from radar Saturday.

"What we're looking for is not easy to spot," Commander Buddy Grant of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said.

"People think 'a plane,' you know. But depending how it went in -- if it did crash -- and how it crashed, it could be a very small footprint. It could be about the size of a lawnmower."

Sheriff's Posse volunteers on horseback joined professionals riding ATVs and walking on foot to head into an enormous forest.

Hazards are everywhere: snakes, cactus, ankle-breaking potholes, even a suspect from another case who may be hiding in the very thick woods.

"Some of it's accessible by foot, some of it's accessible by vehicle, and some of it only by horseback," Grant said.

"So it's getting all of those things and the right resources in the right areas to make sure we don't miss anything."

There are several issues that add to the mystery of Weiss and his Sonex experimental aircraft. There has been no signal detected from the plane's emergency locator beacon that's designed to turn on if the aircraft crashes. He left his cell phone where he took off, in Dunnellon. He did not file a flight plan -- although he was not required by law to file one in this case. And when his plane disappeared from radar, it was not following a path that would take it to Zephyrhills, his home airport.

Teams have been working from the command post in Lecanto since Tuesday. They plan to search until nightfall Wednesday, and potentially beyond.

=======
CITRUS COUNTY – More than 125 people from several law enforcement agencies have joined the search for a pilot who flew off in his aircraft Saturday afternoon from the Dunnellon/Marion County Airport but never arrived at his destination of Zephyrhills. 

The missing pilot is Theodore T. “Teddy” Weiss, 74. The last known coordinates for his airplane were near Trail 10 in a portion of the Withlacoochee State Forest in Citrus County.

Citrus County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Heather Yates said more than 125 people showed up around 8 a.m. Wednesday at a command post set up at 4400 S. Lecanto Highway in Lecanto, where they were receiving their assignments.

Yates said the search detail includes 30 all-terrain vehicles from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; law enforcement personnel from Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, Levy and Marion counties; helicopters from Citrus and Hernando counties; aircraft from the Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Forest Service; and members of Community Emergency Response Teams in Citrus and Hernando counties.

Dunnellon airport manager John Helms told a Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy on Monday that Weiss departed at about 2 p.m. Saturday in his fixed-wing, single-engine Sonex two-seater, with white and green stripes, heading to Zephyrhills. Helms said Zephyrhills airport officials later told him Weiss' vehicle was still at the hangar but his aircraft was not there.

The land search detail on Tuesday worked until 7 p.m. Helicopters from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office continued looking throughout the night but did not find the airplane.

http://www.ocala.com



Theodore Weiss, 74, was bound for Zephyrhills but never reached his destination, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

A representative from the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport confirmed that Weiss never arrived but declined to comment further.

Weiss was reported missing on Monday.

The search for the missing plane now includes the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Air Force, Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Civil Air Patrol.

Major Joseph Tomasone is the Mission Information Officer with the Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the United States Air Force. He said Weiss flew into Marion County on Saturday morning for a get-together with other pilots who fly the same type of plane.

“(Weiss) took off Saturday afternoon,” he said, “presumably heading home. He never arrived.”

Citrus and Hernando sheriff’s deputies combed the Withlacoochee State Forest on all-terrain vehicles and in helicopters Tuesday afternoon along Weiss’ planned flight trajectory, said Citrus sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Yates. 

Radar from Gainesville tracks aircraft flying in that part of the state.

Going south over Citrus County, radar from Tampa begins tracking aircraft. The switch makes for a momentary dead zone over the forest where aircraft is tracked by neither radar system.

That’s where Weiss was lost.

“The Withlacoochee Forest is kind of like a black hole,” Yates said. “That’s what pilots call it.”
The civil air patrol has been searching since 2 p.m. Monday.

The plane, Tomasone said, had an emergency locator translator (ELT) on board, which would activate either on impact or with high gravitational forces.

“There have been no reported signals for the ELT,” he said.

It’s not unusual, he said, for a small-engine plane to go missing, but he said one thing about the situation struck him as odd.

“The pilot was not on a direct path to Zephyrhills airport,” he said. “He was in a more southerly route to Tampa, so we’re checking area airports in case he decided to land somewhere else.”

The listed address for Weiss is Colony Hills Drive in Zephyrhills. He also has an address in New York state and is registered to vote in Ontario County.

He was certified as a private pilot in December of 2005. His pilot license record says he must wear corrective lenses for distance vision and glasses for near vision.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration registry, Weiss’ plane type is a fixed-wing single-engine Sonex experimental plane, built from a homemade airplane kit.

According to the Sonex aircraft website, the plane is equipped to hold 16 gallons of fuel.
The plane was issued a certificate by the FAA on Jan. 30, 2012.

According to neighbor Richard Greenshields, 81, Weiss was retired and came to Florida from New York during the winter months. Greenshields said Weiss is a nice, quiet man.

“He kept to himself and he was friendly to everybody,” he said.

Greenshields said Weiss has a garage he used to build an airplane and store motorcycles, and that Weiss liked to travel around the country to look at airplanes.

“He liked to fly and liked to run motorcycles,” Greenshields said. “He was interested in doing things like that. He built a garage to do tinkering in.”

Greenshields said he thought Weiss was planning to go back north on the first of May. He found out Weiss was missing, he said, when two squad cars showed up outside of Weiss’ house.

Times researcher Carolyn Edds contributed to this report.


Friday through Sunday were a bad three days for people using small planes over Marion County. Two men were killed and a woman suffered severe burns in two separate crashes.

Now it looks even worse. A pilot who took off in a small plane from the Marion County Airport in Dunnellon on Saturday did not arrive at his destination and is still missing.

Theodore T. “Teddy” Weiss, 74, of Zephyrhills, is an experienced pilot. He was flying a fixed-wing, single-engine Sonex two-seater with white and green stripes.

Authorities were searching in Citrus County in case the airplane crashed there.

Heather Yates, a spokeswoman for the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, said they have set up a command post at a fire station at 4400 S. Lecanto Highway and, from there, are searching for the plane. It may have gone down in the Withlacoochee State Forest, she said.

More than 30 people from the Citrus County and Hernando County sheriff’s offices are using helicopters and all-terrain vehicles, as well as their mounted posses, Yates said.

The territory being searched is about 250 square miles in the forest.

They’re searching that general area, Yates said, because of the last known coordinates they have from the Brooksville office of the Civil Air Patrol.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit also has searched for the plane, as have rescue teams with the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Air Force, according to an MCSO news release.

Deputy Matthew Hooper met with airport manager John Helms at the Dunnellon facility on Monday, according to an MCSO report. The manager told him that Weiss departed at about 2 p.m. heading to Zephyrhills.

Helms said Zephyrhills airport officials told him Weiss’ vehicle was still at the hangar but the aircraft was not there.

Weiss’ girlfriend, Joan H. Backer, 76, of Manchester, N.Y., said he is a snowbird who spends part of his time in Florida and part of his time in New York. She has been sending him messages through his cellphone, Backer said, but has not heard from him.

“I’ve been sending messages to him telling him that I love him and about the glory of God,” Backer said.

She said she usually flies with Weiss from New York to Florida but didn’t do so this time.

Weiss has been flying since he was 19, she said, and is a very cautious and careful pilot.

She said that Weiss built the plane, which is manufactured by Fortuna Dave and has the tail number N229P, and that he made improvements to the aircraft.

“He has done that flight many times before,” she said of the trip from Dunnellon to Zephyrhills.

A Marion County official said Weiss’ plane is not based out of the Dunnellon airport. There are no records of how many times he checked in and out of the facility, as is common with a nontowered airport, the official said.

On Friday, a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff at the Ocala International Airport. The pilot, Helen Helpling, is recovering from injuries — burns to her hands and feet — at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

On Sunday evening, Joseph Sardinas, 70, and Dennis W. Monroe, 65, died when the small plane they were in crashed while filming a scene for a zombie movie in Summerfield.

http://www.ocala.com