What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Unknown causation. (2) witness said that they observed aircraft approx 80' above, the wings wagged a bit, they looked away and then they heard a loud thud. Engine was running. (.4) on March 3, 2000, at 1720 eastern standard time, an unregistered experimental airplane, collided with the ground while attempting a landing on runway 27 at Redder Airport in Manatee, Florida. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the private pilot received fatal injuries. The flight departed Manatee, Florida, at an undetermined time. According to witnesses at the accident site, the airplane was about 80 feet above the runway, on final approach to land, when it suddenly nosed into the ground. Both witnesses reported that the engine appeared to have been operating at full power prior to impact. On March 4, 2000, the postmortem examination on the pilot was performed by privacy data omitted at the district twelve medical examiner, sarasota, Florida. The toxicology report indicated that propoxyphene, a prescription natcotic painkiller often known by the trade name carvon, and norporoxyphene, a metabolite of propoxyphene, were found in the pilot's blood and urine. Propoxyphene is known to impair cognitive performance, with some performance measures demonstrating inpairment as long as 36 hours after ingestion. The toxicology report indicates the detection of amitriptyline, a prescription antidepressant and its active metabolite nortriptylene, in the blood and urine. Amitripyline is one of the most sedating of the antidepressants. A high level of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine, was also detected in the pilot's blood. In therapeutic doses, the medication commonly results in drowsiness, and has measurable effects on performance of complex cognitive and motor tasks. The level detected is consistent with the ingestion of a higher-than-normal dose of the medication, or of the medication use. The FAA does not regulate the use of any specific pre scription of over-the-counter medications by pilots, though the FARS do state the (sec. 91.17): "no person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft...while using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety...' The pilot had no current FAA medical certificate. The pilot's medical history was not acquired for examination.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) UNKNOWN CAUSATION. (2) WITNESS SAID THAT THEY OBSERVED AIRCRAFT APPROX 80' ABOVE, THE WINGS WAGGED A BIT, THEY LOOKED AWAY AND THEN THEY HEARD A LOUD THUD. ENGINE WAS RUNNING. (.4) ON MARCH 3, 2000, AT 1720 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN UNREGISTERED EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE ATTEMPTING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 AT REDDER AIRPORT IN MANATEE, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MANATEE, FLORIDA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 80 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, WHEN IT SUDDENLY NOSED INTO THE GROUND. BOTH WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT FULL POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT. ON MARCH 4, 2000, THE POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION ON THE PILOT WAS PERFORMED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT THE DISTRICT TWELVE MEDICAL EXAMINER, SARASOTA, FLORIDA. THE TOXICOLOGY REPORT INDICATED THAT PROPOXYPHENE, A PRESCRIPTION NATCOTIC PAINKILLER OFTEN KNOWN BY THE TRADE NAME CARVON, AND NORPOROXYPHENE, A METABOLITE OF PROPOXYPHENE, WERE FOUND IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AND URINE. PROPOXYPHENE IS KNOWN TO IMPAIR COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, WITH SOME PERFORMANCE MEASURES DEMONSTRATING INPAIRMENT AS LONG AS 36 HOURS AFTER INGESTION. THE TOXICOLOGY REPORT INDICATES THE DETECTION OF AMITRIPTYLINE, A PRESCRIPTION ANTIDEPRESSANT AND ITS ACTIVE METABOLITE NORTRIPTYLENE, IN THE BLOOD AND URINE. AMITRIPYLINE IS ONE OF THE MOST SEDATING OF THE ANTIDEPRESSANTS. A HIGH LEVEL OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE, AN OVER-THE-COUNTER SEDATING ANTIHISTAMINE, WAS ALSO DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD. IN THERAPEUTIC DOSES, THE MEDICATION COMMONLY RESULTS IN DROWSINESS, AND HAS MEASURABLE EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE OF COMPLEX COGNITIVE AND MOTOR TASKS. THE LEVEL DETECTED IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INGESTION OF A HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL DOSE OF THE MEDICATION, OR OF THE MEDICATION USE. THE FAA DOES NOT REGULATE THE USE OF ANY SPECIFIC PRE SCRIPTION OF OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS BY PILOTS, THOUGH THE FARS DO STATE THE (SEC. 91.17): "NO PERSON MAY ACT OR ATTEMPT TO ACT AS A CREWMEMBER OF A CIVIL AIRCRAFT...WHILE USING ANY DRUG THAT AFFECTS THE PERSON'S FACULTIES IN ANY WAY CONTRARY TO SAFETY...' THE PILOT HAD NO CURRENT FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT'S MEDICAL HISTORY WAS NOT ACQUIRED FOR EXAMINATION.