CEN22FA217

After takeoff, the pilot maneuvered the airplane in the local area for about 30 minutes. He then contacted approach control and informed the controller that he was experiencing chest pains. The airplane became established on a course to return to the departure airport. However, a few minutes later, the flight track abruptly turned away from the airport. The airplane entered a descent and impacted a soybean field. The fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer were damaged during impact. Postaccident airframe and engine examinations did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. The pilot had a history of coronary artery disease, including a previous heart attack, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Records demonstrated that he was intermittently non-compliant with his medication regimen. Considering the evidence about the pilot’s underlying severe coronary artery disease, his non-compliance with his medical regimen, likely continued use of tobacco, and reported chest pain to air traffic control, it is likely the pilot experienced an in-flight acute cardiac event, most likely cardiac ischemia, that caused the accident. The investigation could not determine if effects from his use of the sedating antihistamine diphenhydramine contributed to the accident.

On May 31, 2022, at 0835 central daylight time, a Cessna 162 airplane, N162KG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed the General Dewitt Spain Airport (M01), Memphis, Tennessee, at 0732 and proceeded about 16 miles northwest. The airplane remained in that vicinity for about 30 minutes, and the altitude varied from about 1,200 ft mean sea level (msl) to about 2,500 ft msl. The flight track appeared consistent with general flight maneuvers. At 0826, the pilot contacted Memphis approach and informed the controller that he was experiencing chest pains. The airplane was about 9 miles west of M01 at that time. The pilot subsequently established the airplane on an easterly course toward M01. However, at 0833, the flight track turned southbound, and the airplane entered a descent and impacted terrain. The pilot had reported coronary artery disease, including a previous heart attack and a history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Records demonstrated that he was intermittently non-compliant with his medication regimen but at the time of the last medical exam, he reported he was using rosuvastatin and ezetimibe to treat his high cholesterol. According to the autopsy report issued by the Office of the Medical Examiner, West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center, the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was accident. The pilot was noted to have biventricular dilated cardiomyopathy (cardiomegaly). Stents were noted in the left anterior descending coronary artery, left circumflex coronary artery, and right coronary artery, each with “associated calcific atherosclerotic stenosis,” including > 95% stenosis of the left anterior descending, ~50% stenosis of the left circumflex, and ~75-90% stenosis of the right coronary artery. A 0.7 cm scar was noted in the posterior wall of the ventricle. Microscopic examination of the heart noted an area of “wavy myocytes” that was considered indeterminant in that it may have been due to trauma or could have been due to acute ischemic injury. Toxicology tests performed at the request of the medical examiner identified caffeine, cotinine, diphenhydramine (330 ng/ml) in heart blood. Testing of vitreous for clinical indicators were within appropriate postmortem limits. Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified diphenhydramine at 496 ng/ml in heart blood and was inconclusive for ibuprofen. Both were detected in urine. Caffeine is the stimulant commonly found in coffee, black tea, and colas. Cotinine is found in tobacco and is the primary metabolite of nicotine. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine used to treat allergy symptoms and as a sleep aid. The pilot’s logbook was not available to the National Transportation SafetyBoard during the course of the investigation. The airplane impacted a soybean field about 3 miles west-southwest of M01. The airplane came to rest inverted about 90 ft from the initial ground impact. The fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer were damaged during impact. Postaccident airframe and engine examinations did not reveal any preimpact anomalies.