bcaviator

I don't know how the A/P works in a 421, but in many AP systems that I have flown, if the AP is on and the plane is not able to maintain the desired track (hdg, course, etc) it will auto disconnect. In addition, the systems that I HAVEN'T seen auto disconnect have such strong servos that it doesn't get that far, (example: a King Air with a full elevator trim runaway on one engine or two....it will hold the desired course/alt all day long). And with the AP disconnected, I don't see any way that the plane would make such perfectly symmetrical, large circles. Especially while climbing, descending with varying airspeeds. I'm just not sold on the "fell on the yoke" idea. The cause of this isn't worth arguing over, but...it sure makes a guy wonder.

Cubdriver

I do not think the AP was engaged either because as mentioned the system would kick out when it reaches a stop in any trim axis. But it would not have to be engaged in order to get the flight path we see- mechanical control systems like this are firm in cruise, and might resist moderate pressures pretty well. The pitch variation is a little harder to explain because it was nose up rather than down, not what you expect for a yoke being slouched on, but if the plane was not perfectly trimmed when the pilot lost consciousness and it was slightly upward biased at that time, the airplane would gradually climb to its service ceiling as we see in the FlightAware plot. The other thing to remember is, hypoxia is not a sudden condition, and the pilot could have been fading in and out the whole flight. That would be consistent with the occasional changes we see in the flight path.

MoarAlpha

Unless this was all just an elaborate ploy to fake his own death and he put a dummy up in the front seat to make it look like he was still there.

USMCFLYR

Article indicating an NTSB preliminary report:

NTSB issues preliminary report on mysterious Gulf of Mexico plane crash - CNN

This was the first I had heard of the professional problems this pilot was reportedly having aside from flying.

USMCFLYR

mike734

If it was suicide, that's certainly an interesting way to do it.

Dizzy

Actual NTSB preliminary

Besides the addition of the info about the guy being banned from working the CNN report is cut/paste from the preliminary. The suicide part seems to be purely speculation from the vultures at CNN. I wonder if they also asked the NTSB if they thought it was aliens?

rickair7777

He was 65...old enough to retire anyway. Why suicide?