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| Date: | Sunday 26 January 2003 |
| Time: | 15:20 |
| Type: |  Cessna O-2A (337M) Super Skymaster |
| Owner/operator: | Environmental Aviation Services Inc |
| Registration: | N52513 |
| MSN: | 337-M0036 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8807 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-360-D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Fernandina Beach, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, FL (55J) |
| Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, FL (55J) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On January 26, 2003, about 1520 eastern standard time, a Cessna M337B-O2A, N52513, operated by Environmental Aviation Services, Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 other work use flight, impacted with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean about 7 miles east of Fernandina Beach, Florida. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial rated-pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport about 1430.
The airplane was 7 miles off shore when it collided in a steep angle with water during an aerial survey of whales. The survey was to be done in accordance with a grid pattern, at an altitude of 1000 feet. Once whales were spotted, the flight would descend to 500 to 750 feet, with flaps extended to 10 to 20 degrees, and right turns using a 45-degree bank would be conducted. According to recorded radar data, the flight departed from the grid pattern and did right circling turns in a one mile radius at 1000 feet. The flight descended and leveled at 800 feet before descending to 500 feet with a ground speed of 61 knots last recorded. Toxicological testing on the pilot revealed: 0.008 ug/ml dextromethorphan detected in blood, dextromethorphan present in urine, ephedrine detected in blood and urine, phenylpropanolamine detected in urine, pseudoephedrine detected in blood and urine. The presence of these drugs indicated the pilot likely used at least one medication for upper respiratory symptoms and one herbal supplement (possibly ephedra) within the 24 hours preceding the accident; however, the pilot was probably not impaired by these substances.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the ocean.
Wreckage was located on January 29, 2003, about 7 miles east of Fernandina Beach, in 65 feet of water, at 030:36:49 N latitude and 081:16:50 W longitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20030205X00163&key=1
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56393
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 08-Dec-2017 18:01 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 01-Jan-2021 17:39 | TB | Updated [Location, Nature, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 28-Nov-2024 19:20 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
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