Cessna 421 spirals into sea as F-15s watch unable to help…

I was alerted to a failure to pressurize in a King Air by a packet of potato chips (crisps in the UK :D) that burst going through 16,000′ for a final FL210. IIRC the only warning is a yellow light on the annunciator panel (see image below). Always carry an unopened packet of potato chips with you, it may save your life. I’ve also flown the 421, max FL260, but in those days I was fearless :diablo:

RIP and condolences to the family 🙁

This aircraft apparently hadn’t seen much recent use. Owned by an OB/GYN Dr., it made a trip from Slidell to Little Rock, AR. just prior to Christmas 2011 and returned to Slidell on Dec. 26th, 2011. The next flight listed is this one to Sarasota, FL. on April 19th, 2012. Possibly the first flight of the year.

Troubling comments on one of the links provided through Flightaware, unsubstantiated but easy enough for the authorities to confirm. Very sad either way.

From the ASN link above…

A Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III aircraft, N48DL, departed Slidell Airport – KASD, LA, at 06:40 local time on a flight to Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport – SPQ/ KSRQ, FL, across the Gulf of Mexico. It reached an altitude of FL280 some 38 minutes later.
N48DL remained at this altitude for twenty minutes, when it began a gradual climbing turn to the right to about 30.800 feet.
From then on the aircraft began to fly left hand 360-degree turns.
Because the pilot failed to respond to air traffic control, two Air National Guard McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighter jets (159th Fighter Wing) departed New Orleans, reaching the aircraft at about 09:30 local time. The ANG crew also were unable to make contact with the pilot.
The aircraft continued flying circles, attaining an altitude of FL330 approximately four hours into the flight. N48DL then began to descend at an increasing rate until it ditched in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 150 miles from Sarasota, Florida. The ANG pilots of the scrambled F-15’s said that the Cessna’s windows were iced over, a common sign of pressurization problems.

A couple of years back, a Cessna twin had a pressurization issue. IIRC, it went over the Atlantic and crashed.

But then again, last week, an 82 year-old private pilot died while flying his Cessna 414..his 80 year old wife successfully landed the aircraft (with minor damage).

So it could be either. Unless they recover the pilots body. we’ll never know.
I wonder if the ATC tapes show the aircraft’s altitude? If he was below 10-12-14,000 ft, it shouldn’t have been an issue.

Still. if I had a pressurized aircraft, I’d keep a sharp eye on the oxegen system…especially after the Learjet crash several years ago that killed the well-known golfer, Payne Stewart. That was also a oxygen/pressurization system failure. It wandered over the mid-west (with F-16s in tow) before crashing.

Or oxygen issue?

Moggy

RIP.

Heart attack in flight, perhaps?