Piper Aztec N13986

     On October 27, 1979, Larry Ritter took off from Montego Bay, Jamaica, and set course for Nassau, Bahamas. At 10:20 a.m. he was airborne. He called and gave his ETA at Nassau at 2:20 p.m. The weather was perfect so he filed a VFR flight plan. He was flying his friend’s twin engine Piper Aztec. Ritter topped off the tanks for 6 hours of fuel. The plane also carried a recently activated Narco ELT.

       This is about all that can be said for Ritter and the Aztec. He was
           logged out on schedule. He was never seen again. There was
               no Mayday. A search found no debris. Ramp checks proved
                 the plane had not put in anywhere else. The search was
                   halted on November 11, 1979.

                 The scenario, of course, also includes the distinct lack of
               any ELT signal! Ritter was no amateur. He had 6,000 total
               flight hours. And he held just about every grade in flying:
             multi engine land; single engine land; airline transport;
               helicopter, rotocraft, and was qualified in Lear Jets.