NYC91FA212

Factual narrative

WHILE ON A HEADING OF APPROX 270, THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW ANOTHER AIRPLANE INTO THE AIRPORT. HE DID NOT TURN IN ON FINAL AND CONTINUED FOR ALMOST 3 MILES. WHEN THE ATCT TOLD HIM TO TURN TO 180 FOR RESEQUENCING, HE TURNED TO 330, TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND STARTED A DESCENT FROM 2000 FEET. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO 1600 FEET, AND THEN STARTED A CLIMB BACK TO 2000 FEET, WITH A SHALLOW LEFT TURN, CONTACTED APPROACH CONTROL AND CONTINUED THE TURN TO 150. THE RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT SPEED STARTED TO DECREASE WHEN THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED. THERE WAS A CONTINUED DECREASE OF SPEED TO 44 KNOTS, AT WHICH POINT, THE AIRPLANE STARTED A DESCENT, FOLLOWED BY A LEFT SPIN, AND IMPACTED WATER. THE RADAR DATA SHOWED NO RAPID COURSE CHANGES PRIOR TO THE LOW POINT OF SPEED. THE AIR/GROUND TAPES SHOWED THE PILOT SOMETIMES TOOK ALMOST A MINUTE BETWEEN FREQUENCY CHANGES, AND HIS VOICE WAS INDECISIVE AND HESITANT. THE PILOT HAD BEEN TREATED FOR SEIZURES SINCE 1974. ANTI-SEIZURE MEDICATION WAS FOUND IN HIS TOXICOLOGICAL SAMPLES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12