Sadly, Trevor Compton of Miami a Untied Airlines Pilot, along with his cousin are reported missing in a ditching in open ocean off of Bahamas.
A Falcon 10 flying from the Miami area to St. Maarten heard the distress calls, and passed them on to Miami Center, which in turn sent a Hercules from Tampa, a Falcon Jet from Miami, and a Jayhawk from Turks and Caicos - search is still on going.
Family was just in touch with US Coast Guard, after 7400 miles, and 50 hours of active searching, the search
has been called off. No debris, of any kind including gas/oil slick was spotted.
Must wonder what happened. The Aztec is pretty much the toughest of all the light twins. With two on board, it'll fly like a kite on one. In the right hands. This guy was obviously a very experienced driver. Also, if I were to choose an airplane to take for a swim, the Aztec would be my first choice....well, maybe after a PBY. Here's hoping they had a raft, although they aren't a requirement on a twin.
From the "Sentinel" - The Pembroke Pines man almost took the flight. Instead Richard Compton spent Christmas Day anxiously awaiting word on the fate of his brother and cousin who were aboard a small plane that disappeared Thursday near the Bahamas.
Travis R. Compton, 44, a commercial airline pilot who lived in Miami Beach, was flying his small plane to Grenada. His cousin, Bancroft O. Nyack, joined him for the trip to his home in the island country.
They left Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at about 8 a.m. Thursday but never made it to their first stop to refuel the Piper Turbo Aztec at Providenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Authorities think the plane, owned by Compton, may have crashed about 10 miles northeast of Plana Cays, two small islands in the southern Bahamas.
"I was supposed to go on the flight," Richard Compton of Pembroke Pines, Travis Compton's younger brother, said Friday afternoon. "It hasn't hit me yet." He didn't say why he stayed behind.
Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard have been searching the waters around the area where the 1981 Piper was last heard from about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.
David Van Sickle, the pilot of a corporate jet who was airborne nearby contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to report an emergency distress call from the Piper, recently purchased by Travis Compton.
It's not clear if Compton or Nyack, who also is an FAA-certified pilot, was at the controls when the plane went down.
The Piper had lost power in both engines and was descending rapidly, according to a discussion on FlightAware.com, which tracks flights nationwide.
"It was gut wrenching speaking to [the pilot of the Piper] knowing there was nothing I could do but try my best to quickly get as much info from him and relay it clearly to Miami and hope the rescue goes well," Van Sickle wrote in an e-mail to a pilot friend, Robert Reid of Toronto.
Richard Compton said his brother had planned to make two refueling stops — Providenciales, and then Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands — on the way to Grenada in the southeastern Caribbean.
Travis Compton regularly flew 757 and 767 jets for a major airline out of Washington, D.C., said Richard Compton, who did not want to give the name of the airline. He described his brother as a "a very private guy" who wouldn't like strangers reading about him.
He said Nyack, 30, is a cousin who was visiting in South Florida for about a week before leaving to return home.
Nyack's family owns the Belmont Estate plantation in northern Grenada, according to Belmont's website. Belmont Estate, an authentic 17th-century plantation that allows guests to participate in the workings of a fully functional plantation, is Grenada's top tourist attraction.
*Btw guessing if no raft then no life jackets too.
*Also no 'black box' thing and distress call stops after aircraft is ditched rather than continuing to transmit till the limit of operational depth.
*Assuming that search and rescue means no sonar etc used since surface area is primary focus. Would a recovery phase be initiated and under what guidelines?
*If 10 miles off the Bahamas, then still aways from population area and also is it beyond the continental shelf area if any? How would the currents affect a downed aircraft in that area during this time of year?
*According to a previous posting, the PA27 aztec would be preferred in this range of aircraft as a better means of surviving a ditching. This is usally only possible if one were to glide onto the ocean's surface?
*Like the coast guard does the FAA have a factual report (event time-line & available data on the aircraft during the event)on such incidents? Is it available to the family? With smaller aircraft I gather more of the info would be from the controller rather than the plane itself.
In reading the previous postings, apart from getting the news itself, I was able to much more informed about the entirety of this incident.
Thanks again for any clarification on my thoughts above
Just spoke to the pilot's relative in MD. Both a raft and life jackets were kept onboard thanks to the wisdom of the owner and pilot being an island man. This model also was chosen since it could run on one engine as it would on two. The coast guard indicated the plane ditched in what are some of the deepest water depth areas after passing the Bahamas. A cutter and two planes were part of the effort. As usual they not only did a painstakingly detailed search job but took pains to stay in touch with kith and kin.
The family have also been thankfully to be in touch with at least two pilots who were in the area and heard the distress call so hopefully by a miracle of sorts this will help bring some closure. Whether done by individuals or the industry, may efforts to save human life multiply and result in success so others who may have to traverse this road in life can come out much better off.
Don't know about Ocean swells, but weather was okay.
During the search, absolutely nothing was found, there is zero word on the aircraft
and it's two passengers, Travis and Bancroft.
