What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Observed low and slow. Stalled. Dove into grond. (.4)the student pilot was in the traffic pattern practicing touch and go landings and had completed one landing. The airplane was on the downwind leg for the second landing when the control tower lost radio contact with the pilot. The pilot of another airplane in the traffic pattern located the accident airplane at the point where the pilot would turn from the downwind leg to the base leg. A witness, near the accident site, said he saw a small airplane in a 'straight down dive.' The airplane impacted the ground in a near vertical position and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not disclose any structural or mechanical anomalies. Toxicological tests of the pilot revealed 0.015 (ug/ml, ug/g) diphenhydramine in blood, 0.012 (ug/ml, ug/g) doxylamine in blood, and unquantified levels of trimethoprim, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine in blood. Diphenhydramine and doxylamine are sedating over-the-counter antihistamines, and the levels detected in blood indicate they may have been used by the pilot more than 24 hours before the accident flight. Pseudoephedrine is a dec ongestant, phenylpropanolamine is a metabolite of pseudoephedrine, and trimethoprim is a prescription antibiotic. In the code of federal regulation, CFR 14 91.17, it states: 'no person may act or attempt to act as crew member of a civil aircraft...while using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety... .'
As the FAA filed it
OBSERVED LOW AND SLOW. STALLED. DOVE INTO GROND. (.4)THE STUDENT PILOT WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AND HAD COMPLETED ONE LANDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR THE SECOND LANDING WHEN THE CONTROL TOWER LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH THE PILOT. THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN LOCATED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AT THE POINT WHERE THE PILOT WOULD TURN FROM THE DOWNWIND LEG TO THE BASE LEG. A WITNESS, NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, SAID HE SAW A SMALL AIRPLANE IN A 'STRAIGHT DOWN DIVE.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS OF THE PILOT REVEALED 0.015 (UG/ML, UG/G) DIPHENHYDRAMINE IN BLOOD, 0.012 (UG/ML, UG/G) DOXYLAMINE IN BLOOD, AND UNQUANTIFIED LEVELS OF TRIMETHOPRIM, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE AND PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE IN BLOOD. DIPHENHYDRAMINE AND DOXYLAMINE ARE SEDATING OVER-THE-COUNTER ANTIHISTAMINES, AND THE LEVELS DETECTED IN BLOOD INDICATE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN USED BY THE PILOT MORE THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. PSEUDOEPHEDRINE IS A DEC ONGESTANT, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE IS A METABOLITE OF PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, AND TRIMETHOPRIM IS A PRESCRIPTION ANTIBIOTIC. IN THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION, CFR 14 91.17, IT STATES: 'NO PERSON MAY ACT OR ATTEMPT TO ACT AS CREW MEMBER OF A CIVIL AIRCRAFT...WHILE USING ANY DRUG THAT AFFECTS THE PERSON'S FACULTIES IN ANY WAY CONTRARY TO SAFETY... .'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N67893 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.