SEA07LA097

The pilot was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility two days prior to the accident flight following an overdose of clonazepam, a prescription anti-anxiety medication. He left the facility the day prior to the flight, and took off just after midnight on the day of the accident. The pilot stated that thirty to forty minutes into the night cross-country flight, he realized that he had forgotten his suitcase and returned to the departure airport. He further stated that after retrieving the luggage, he continued the flight to his original intended destination, and about two hours into the flight, elected to make an unscheduled landing due to a low fuel situation. The pilot indicated that, while maneuvering to the airport, he encountered rising terrain that he felt the airplane would not climb over, due to performance constraints of the airplane, and elected to land off airport. The airplane collided with trees and terrain during the landing, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot received minor injures. Post-accident toxicology testing indicated recent use of two different antidepressants, recent use of an over-the-counter antihistamine, and use of clonazepam at a level consistent with overdose and in the range typically causing drowsiness and difficulty maintaining balance.

On April 9, 2007, about 0600 mountain standard time, a Piper PA 28-151 airplane, N42487, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain near the Cibecue Airport (Z95), Cibecue, Arizona. The airplane was owned by the pilot, and was operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, sustained minor injuries during the accident sequence. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight that originated at Double Eagle II Airport, Albuquerque (KAEG), New Mexico, about 0030 mountain daylight time. The pilot's intended destination was Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (KDVT) Phoenix, Arizona.

In a written statement, the pilot reported that 30 to 40 minutes after departure, he realized that he had forgotten his suitcase and returned to KAEG. After retrieving the luggage, the pilot continued the 275 nautical mile flight to KDVT. The pilot stated that "After a couple of hours into the flight my [his] GPS flickered and said I [he] was over Montana." The pilot further stated that, after resetting the GPS and recalculating his fuel burn, he elected to divert to Z95, which was the closest airport. The pilot stated that he initiated a turn towards the airport in preparation to land. However, during the turn, he stated that he encountered rising terrain that he felt he could not clear, due to performance constraints of the airplane, and elected to land off airport. The pilot added that he intentionally "stalled" the airplane just before impacting terrain. The pilot was transported to a medical facility and treated for injuries sustained in the crash.

The FAA's Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicological testing on blood and urine specimens obtained from the pilot following the accident. The toxicology report listed, in part, positive test results for the following substances:

Bupropion present in urine

Venlafaxine present in urine

0.179 (ug/ml, ug/g) Venlafaxine detected in blood

Chlorpheniramine present in urine

Chlorpheniramine detected in blood

0.112 (ug/ml, ug/g) Clonazepam detected in urine

0.103 (ug/ml, ug/g) Clonazepam detected in serum

Medical records from the pilot's initial treatment following the accident noted that the pilot had overdosed on 26 tablets of Klonopin (clonazepam) on April 7, 2007, and the following day (April 8, 2007) left a psychiatric facility at which he had been hospitalized.

The pilot's most recent third-class Airman Medical Certificate was issued on January 9, 2007. The application for that certificate indicated the use of no medications, except for high blood pressure, and no history of mental disorders.