Body found during search for missing pilot near Titusville
AUGUST 27, 2015
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —
A pilot and his plane are missing after authorities believe it crashed near Titusville Wednesday.
WFTV reporter Roy Ramos watched as crews pulled a body out of the Indian River Thursday, but it is not confirmed whether it is the body of the pilot.
Controllers at Space Coast Regional Airport in Brevard County lost contact with the small plane at about 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Brevard County Sheriff's Office teams, the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife searched for hours in and near the Indian River.
"We know the plane was flying at about 300 feet, had radioed in and then they lost contact," said Brevard County spokesman Don Walker.
Strong storms may have been a factor in the incident.
Deputies said debris was found that is consistent with the material from the airplane. Sheriff's homicide agents and investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are assisting with the investigation.
The last known location of the plane was about one mile east of the TICO Airport in the Indian River and approximately 400 yards off the shoreline.
Echoes from the U.S. Coast Guard's search helicopter pierced the sky and flashing blue lights from rescue agencies across Brevard County lit up the Indian River where the plane is believed to have crashed while attempting to land at Space Coast Regional Airport.
The flight manifest had the plane originating from Orlando Executive Airport with only the pilot on board the twin-engine Cessna.
"I quickly looked to see if I would happen to know who was flying the plane," witness Roger Molitor said.
Just before controllers lost contact with the plane, a bad thunderstorm pounded the area around the airport.
Molitor is also a pilot.
"It takes a good pilot to fly through something like this," Molitor said. "Very few people can survive a storm like the one that went through."
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Crews find possible debris in missing plane search in Titusville
A helicopter searches the Indian River for a plane that disappeared near Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville Wednesday.
By Christina Jensen, Reporter
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 26, 2015, 11:18 PM
TITUSVILLE, FL --
Police and fire crews suspended the search for a missing plane near Space Coast Regional Airport because of the weather.
Titusville Fire Dept. said they are searching an area north to northeast of the airport that is heavily wooded. There was some stormy weather at the time the report came in.
Officials say it's a twin-engine Cessna with one person on board.
They say the plane left Orlando Executive Airport for Space Coast Regional Airport. Officials say plane missed the approach and had to abort his landing. The airport lost contact around 4:26 p.m.
Around 7 p.m. crews said they found what may be debris in the Indian River.
“What it appears to be are plane parts," said Brevard County Fire spokesman Don Walker. "Looks like maybe a nose cone or maybe a part of an engine and I think some seat cushions were found.”
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers are helping with the search. They are searching around the Indian and Banana rivers.
However, they are not confident they will find the pilot alive.
Date: 26-AUG-2015
Time: 04:26 p.m.
Type:
Cessna 310R
Owner/operator: Gibbs Rentals Inc
Registration: N90PS
C/n / msn: 310R0126
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Aircraft missing
Location: Indian River, near Space Coast Regional Airport (KTIX), Titusville, FL -
United States of America Phase: Approach
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Orlando Executive (KORL)
Destination airport: Space Coast Rgnl (KTIX)
Narrative:
The pilot aborted the landing on approach to Space Coast Regional Airport. The plane apparently crashed into the Indian River. Search operations are ongoing. Body presumed to that of pilot located Thursday, August 27.
Sources:
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179051
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2015/8/26/missing_plane_report.html
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/airport-loses-contact-small-plane-brevard-county/nnRhn/
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:0::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:26-AUG-15,TITUSVILLE,N90PS
http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/us/90PS
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/4788581-6fe17fe827bc96e699352773fe7634dc8fa066d2/aircraft/N90PS/sort/votes/page/1
N-Number: N90PS
Information Updated 08/26/2015
Aircraft Description
| N-Number | N90PS | ||
| Serial Number | 310R0126 | Status | Valid |
| Manufacturer Name | CESSNA | Certificate Issue Date | 12/02/2014 |
| Model | 310R | Expiration Date | 12/31/2017 |
| Type Aircraft | Fixed Wing Multi Engine | Type Engine | Reciprocating |
| Pending Number Change | Dealer | ||
| Date Change Authorized | Mode S Code (base 8 / octal) | 53067051 | |
| MFR Year | 1975 | Mode S Code (base 16 / hex) | AC6E29 |
| Type Registration | Corporation | Fractional Owner | No |
Registered Owner
| Name | GIBBS RENTALS INC | ||
| Street | 3511 SILVERSIDE RD STE 105 | ||
| City | WILMINGTON | State | DE |
| County | NEW CASTLE COUNTY | Zip Code | 19810-4902 |
| Country | US | ||
Airworthiness
Other Owner Names
None| Engine Manufacturer | CONT MOTOR | A/W Date | 02/17/1975 |
| Engine Model | IO 520 SERIES | Classification | Standard |
| Category | Normal | ||