What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed danielson, CT (lzd) en route to hartness state airport in springfield, VT (vsf). The aircraft did not file a VFR flight plan, and did not receive flight following from boston center (zbw). Weather conditions along the route were increasingly worse to the north. Keene state airport (een), approximately 15 miles from the accident scene, reported 10SM visibility and overcast clouds 1,200 feet above the ground. The terrain along the route of flight is increasingly mountaineous.
Two witnesses reported seeing the aircraft at approximately 11:00AM local time. One witness stated, in part:
"We watched this grey or silver plane for about 30 minutes. We were both extremely amazed by the awesome aerobatics the plane was doing. Air show kind of aerobatics with wicked low cloud ceiling...at roughly 11:25AM the plane went into a high virtical (SIC) climb...climbed so high we could barely hear it. 1/2 minute later we knew he was coming down with increasing speed. Suddenly he came through the bottom of cloud (SIC) and appeared to go straight down over the swamp...from cloud bottom to the crash sound was about 2 to 3 seconds."
After a 5 hour search, the aircraft was located in a heavily wooded area. The single occupant was fatally injured and was recovered by the state medical examiner that evening.
NTSB and FAA investigators arrived at the accident scene the following day. The aircraft was completely destroyed. Portions of the landing gear were located approximately 150 feet from the main accident site, though the majority of the wreckage was located in a small area. The wings and engine were separated from the fuselage, and the cockpit was turned 180 degrees away from the direction of travel prior to impact with the ground. Located on top of a portion of the aircraft was an 8 inch diameter tree, which appeared to have been standing in the aircraft's path of travel prior to impact.
A strong fuel odor was apparent at the scene at the time of arrive, which was approximately 22 hours after the aircraft was reported. Control continuity was confirmed for all primary flight controls and engine controls.
Review of the aircraft maintenance records determined the aircraft had satisfactorily completed a condition inspection on 4/18/2017.
Review of the pilot in command's qualifications determined that he did not hold an instrument rating on his private pilot certificate.
An autopsy was performed by the state of new hampshire office of the chief medical examiner on 7/15/2017. The pilot's cause of death was determined to be "blunt impact injuries of head torso and extremities (SIC)."
The final forensic toxicology report from the FAA civil aerospace medical institute was provided to the iic on 10/17/17. ^the toxicology findings included the following:^
^105 Mg/dl ethanol detected in liver
No ethanol detected in kidney^
^.4511 Ug/ml 11-NOR-0-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol detected in kidney^
^.0766 Ug/ml 11-NOR-0-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol detected in lung^
^.366 Ug/ml delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol detected in kidney^
^.2965 Ug/ml delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol detected in lung^
^Dr. G j salazar of cami stated to the iic that the ethanol found in the liver was likely post-mortem, and was not related to consumption of alcohol. He stated that the 11-NOR-0-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol findings indicate that the airman had used marihuana at some point prior to the accident, but that it was not possible to determine when based on the samples provided for toxicology. Dr. Salazar stated that although it was not possible to confirm any impairment related to marihuana use, it was also not possible to rule it out completely.^
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DANIELSON, CT (LZD) EN ROUTE TO HARTNESS STATE AIRPORT IN SPRINGFIELD, VT (VSF). THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT FILE A VFR FLIGHT PLAN, AND DID NOT RECEIVE FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM BOSTON CENTER (ZBW). WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE WERE INCREASINGLY WORSE TO THE NORTH. KEENE STATE AIRPORT (EEN), APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE, REPORTED 10SM VISIBILITY AND OVERCAST CLOUDS 1,200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE TERRAIN ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT IS INCREASINGLY MOUNTAINEOUS.
TWO WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00AM LOCAL TIME. ONE WITNESS STATED, IN PART:
"WE WATCHED THIS GREY OR SILVER PLANE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. WE WERE BOTH EXTREMELY AMAZED BY THE AWESOME AEROBATICS THE PLANE WAS DOING. AIR SHOW KIND OF AEROBATICS WITH WICKED LOW CLOUD CEILING...AT ROUGHLY 11:25AM THE PLANE WENT INTO A HIGH VIRTICAL (SIC) CLIMB...CLIMBED SO HIGH WE COULD BARELY HEAR IT. 1/2 MINUTE LATER WE KNEW HE WAS COMING DOWN WITH INCREASING SPEED. SUDDENLY HE CAME THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF CLOUD (SIC) AND APPEARED TO GO STRAIGHT DOWN OVER THE SWAMP...FROM CLOUD BOTTOM TO THE CRASH SOUND WAS ABOUT 2 TO 3 SECONDS."
AFTER A 5 HOUR SEARCH, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA. THE SINGLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND WAS RECOVERED BY THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER THAT EVENING.
NTSB AND FAA INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. PORTIONS OF THE LANDING GEAR WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE MAIN ACCIDENT SITE, THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A SMALL AREA. THE WINGS AND ENGINE WERE SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, AND THE COCKPIT WAS TURNED 180 DEGREES AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. LOCATED ON TOP OF A PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS AN 8 INCH DIAMETER TREE, WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN STANDING IN THE AIRCRAFT'S PATH OF TRAVEL PRIOR TO IMPACT.
A STRONG FUEL ODOR WAS APPARENT AT THE SCENE AT THE TIME OF ARRIVE, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 22 HOURS AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED FOR ALL PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROLS AND ENGINE CONTROLS.
REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT HAD SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED A CONDITION INSPECTION ON 4/18/2017.
REVIEW OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S QUALIFICATIONS DETERMINED THAT HE DID NOT HOLD AN INSTRUMENT RATING ON HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE.
AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED BY THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER ON 7/15/2017. THE PILOT'S CAUSE OF DEATH WAS DETERMINED TO BE "BLUNT IMPACT INJURIES OF HEAD TORSO AND EXTREMITIES (SIC)."
THE FINAL FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY REPORT FROM THE FAA CIVIL AEROSPACE MEDICAL INSTITUTE WAS PROVIDED TO THE IIC ON 10/17/17. ^THE TOXICOLOGY FINDINGS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:^
^105 MG/DL ETHANOL DETECTED IN LIVER
NO ETHANOL DETECTED IN KIDNEY^
^.4511 UG/ML 11-NOR-0-CARBOXY-DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL DETECTED IN KIDNEY^
^.0766 UG/ML 11-NOR-0-CARBOXY-DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL DETECTED IN LUNG^
^.366 UG/ML DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL DETECTED IN KIDNEY^
^.2965 UG/ML DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL DETECTED IN LUNG^
^DR. G J SALAZAR OF CAMI STATED TO THE IIC THAT THE ETHANOL FOUND IN THE LIVER WAS LIKELY POST-MORTEM, AND WAS NOT RELATED TO CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL. HE STATED THAT THE 11-NOR-0-CARBOXY-DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL AND DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE AIRMAN HAD USED MARIHUANA AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHEN BASED ON THE SAMPLES PROVIDED FOR TOXICOLOGY. DR. SALAZAR STATED THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO CONFIRM ANY IMPAIRMENT RELATED TO MARIHUANA USE, IT WAS ALSO NOT POSSIBLE TO RULE IT OUT COMPLETELY.^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.