ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45049
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| Date: | Monday 13 October 2003 |
| Time: | 19:57 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-250 Aztec |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N63942 |
| MSN: | 27-7854075 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4760 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming TIO-540-C4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Cordesville, SC -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | East Hampton, NY (KHTO) |
| Charleston, SC (KCHS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight was cleared to descend to 3,000 feet, the pilot acknowledged, and no further radio communication was received from the pilot. Radar data showed the last recorded position for the flight was approximately 20 miles northeast of the airport at 2,900 feet, then the target disappeared from radar. Two witnesses approximately two nautical miles east of the accident site reported hearing what sounded like "back fire," "fireworks," and "crackling." One witness reported he saw the airplane flying west over the treeline, then he heard the sound of an impact. The wreckage was found in a heavily wooded area amid charred trees and burned pine straw, the engines were embedded approximately five feet in the ground, and the chordline of the wings was approximately perpendicular to the ground. Examination of the airframe and engines revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction was observed. The toxicology report for the pilot stated "bupropion, bupropion metabolite, sertraline, and desmethylsertraline were detected in the liver, and bupropion metabolite and sertraline were detected in the kidney." A review of medical records maintained by the pilot's physician revealed the pilot had been prescribed drugs containing bupropion (Wellbutrin) and sertraline (Zoloft) to treat symptoms of depression. A physician's note dated July 14, 2003, stated, "Doing very well on Zoloft ... and Wellbutrin ... . Depression - stable." The records also revealed the pilot had a history of atrial fibrillation and was prescribed the drug sotalol. The pilot reported none of his medical diagnoses or medications on any applications for FAA Airman Medical Certificate.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent into trees and the ground. A factor was physical impairment.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20031020X01778&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Dec-2017 20:00 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
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