Accident to the Tecnam - P2008 - JC registered F-ORVY on 13/03/2021 off the coast of Tahiti (French Polynesia)

Cat. 2 investigation report: simplified-format report, adapted to the circumstances of the occurrence and the investigation stakes.

The unlicensed pilot took off alone at around 16:40 from Tahiti-Faa’a airport for an unplanned flight to Moorea-Temae airport at which he made a full-stop landing. At 16:59, he took off from Moorea airport and headed in the direction of Taiarapu Peninsula.
After 17:08, F-ORVY disappeared from the controller’s radar display screen. The radar coverage is unable to display aeroplanes flying below 1,000 ft in this sector. The aeroplane never reappeared on the screen.
At 17:17, the air traffic controller asked the pilot if he was passing abeam Taravao in order to give him a traffic update. The pilot replied in the affirmative.
At 17:30, the controller asked the pilot to report his position and altitude. The pilot reported that he was at 1,000 ft off the coast of Papara.
Shortly after this, the controller called the pilot back to inform him that a local resident had seen him flying extremely low, between 100 and 150 ft over the sea at Papara. The controller asked him to respect a minimum height of 500 ft. The pilot acknowledged the request.
The controller then informed the pilot of the presence of an aeroplane higher up, flying between Taravao and the Sierra Tango navigation fix. The pilot of F-ORVY stated that he did not have sight of this aeroplane.
At 17:36, the controller asked him to confirm that his altitude was still at 1,000 ft. Not receiving a response, the controller called again. He then asked the pilot of another aeroplane in the area to try to contact the pilot of F-ORVY. These calls also went unanswered. No emergency message had been sent by the pilot.
Having no news of the pilot, the air traffic control services initiated alert and search phases.
The investigation was unable to explain why the pilot and the aeroplane went missing at sea.
However, the description of the pilot’s state of mind, the circumstances in which the flight took place and the manoeuvres observed during the flight suggested that he intentionally took risks.