Updated: Coast Guard searches for survivors in Gulf of Mexico plane crash.
Cessna 421 similar to accident plane. Photo by AHunt.
Update: According to the USCG, they have recovered human remains from the area of the plane crash. The remains will be taken to St. Petersburg, Florida for examination and so that it can be determined whether they belong to the accident victims.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is currently searching for any survivors or bodies in the crash of a twin-engine Cessna 421 Golden Eagle (registration N4467D) into the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s western coast. The plane reportedly disappeared off radar at 1:52 PM EDT and the USCG found a debris field sometime before 9:00 PM EDT. There were five people aboard the airplane.
The aircraft was being operated by Quality Powder Coating, a business based out of Texas, and it was carrying the company pilot, owner, and some sales executives (other sources list one of the people on board as a client). It departed Collin County Regional Airport (TKI) in McKinney, Texas at 10:00 AM and was supposed to arrive earlier today at Tampa International Airport (TPA). As the plane was flying at 5,000 feet and 40 miles northwest of Tampa, it disappeared from radar coverage and radio contact. It was communicating with Jacksonville Center’s air traffic controlers (ATC) at that moment. The USCG began searching for the wreckage or any survivors at 3:00 PM and eventually found a two mile debris field. There is still hope of finding survivors in an area 20 miles west of Port Richey, Florida.
Authorities did mention that the plane reported turbulence before disappearing. There was severe weather in the area at the time of the accident. Update: Authorities also said the pilot reported losing control of his aircraft and flying inverted. It looks like this could definitely be a case of a pilot trying to fly through the wrong thunderstorm. I’m curious about the height of the aircraft reported by authorities. Was the plane flying at 5,000 feet as part of its initial apporach into Tampa or was it at 5,000 feet before disappearing as a result of the turbulence. If the former is the case, it could be a dangerous altitude to be at in heavy turbulence (especially if flying inverted was part of it). Two or three severe altitude losses would put you in the ground very quickly.
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