- Date
- July 1, 1990, 14:12 local (18:12 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, NY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N44ZZNorth American AT-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900701022999A
- Case key
- 36673
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of control in flight due to physical impairment. Factors related to the accident were: the pilots use of an over the counter antihistamine.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers in an airshow. The pilot was executing a roll when after 270 degrees of roll, the rate decreased considerably. The nose dropped and the airplane impacted the water in a 40 degree nose down, 45 degrees right wing low attitude. The pilot was found to have a package of 'calmex' in his clothing. This is an over the counter antihistamine. In addition, the drug diphenhydramine was found in his blood, liver, and stomach. According to the FAA eastern region flight surgeon, the drug could cause slowed reaction times and drossiness, and could affect the pilot's perception of equilibrium.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44ZZ
- Reported as
- North American AT-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 66-2647
- Airframe hours
- 2,800
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Gifford T. Foyle
- Registered owner
- Hanover Aero Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Departed
- BUF · Buffalo, NY
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.