It was May 12, 1999. Enrique Esme was en route to Nassau. At 8:30 am he was no more than 50 miles away. It is here that mystery begins.

     All the preliminary evidence indicates that Esme’s plane descended steadily   until it vanished. But he didn’t land on water. The Aero 500 is not
         an amphibian. Nevertheless, Miami’s ARTCC (air route traffic control
         center) reported that radar returns showed the airplane simply
             disappeared at 0827:42; the “return” showed 000 feet.
                     Unexplainably, at 0857:54, the the airplane reappeared
                 and climbed to 100 feet. The last radar return at
                   0859:54, showed the airplane had climbed to
                   1,300 feet, and was at that altitude when radar was lost.
                 The last location of the airplane was at N25:07.48,
                 W 077:47.16, 18 DME (distance measuring equipment),
               292 degrees from the Nassau VOR. 

             The Factual Report changes many things. The aircraft doesn’t
           disappear off radar. It records Esme as in approach to the airport.
         He then begins to do some unusual aerobatics but seems completely
       unaware of them. The following is taken from the final assessment.

Aero Commander 500   N6138X

       At the time of the accident, the pilot was in radio contact with Nassau Approach Control. According to Nassau approach the flight was west of the airport, inbound for landing. For some reason the pilot performed a 360-degree turn, without permission, and was then vectored to runway 09. None of the radio communications indicated that the pilot was having mechanical or medical problems.
     According to the transcript of radio communications the pilot of N6138X contacted Nassau Approach Control, at 0838:11, and reported his position was “about 50 miles west for landing.” The pilot was given a transponder code of 0476, was radar identified as being 48 miles northwest of the airport, and was told to expect landing on runway 14.
     At 0850:10, the approach controller said, “...turn left zero four zero vectors for runway one four your number three.” The pilot acknowledge the transmission.
     At 0851:16, the controller said, “...Turn further left ten degrees, traffic four miles southeast bound...at 1500 landing runway one four you’d be number two to follow.” The pilot acknowledged the transmission.
     The approach controller called the tower at 0854:18, and asked the tower controller, “...[N] 6138X he look like he headed to northwest...he made a right turn heading back.”
     At 0854:25, the approach controller called the pilot and said, “...I show you heading to the northwest are you still landing on one four.” The pilot’s answer was unreadable.
     At 0854:39, the approach controller said, “Sir if you gonna make a three sixty out there you need to advise us when you making a three sixty. Join final, turn right on heading of one one zero and join finals runway one four.”
     At 0855:00, the control said, “...say altitude.” The pilot answered, “altitude is.” The control said, “Fly heading two seven zero,” and pilot answered “seven.”
     At 0856:29, the controller said, “...turn left on a heading of one eight zero.” The pilot repeated the heading.
     The last transmissions were at 0858:18. The controller said, “...fly heading one three zero vectors for nine [runway 9],” and the pilot said “vector for nine.”   There were no further transmissions.

After communications were lost, a search was initiated by air and a debris field was located. Five yellow life jackets, a six-man life raft, several unidentified pieces of white and gold airframe were retrieved by the Bahamian Government. The pilot and the wreckage were never recovered from the water.

 Fort Pincastle over Nassau. Over the waters offshore Esme began to do some unusual things before he disappeared. (Corbis, used under license).