Departure and Incident
The aircraft, registered as N761QZ, departed the airport in marginal weather conditions. The pilot took off downwind and against the established traffic pattern. No flight plan was filed, and there was no record of a weather briefing.
During departure, a near miss occurred between N761QZ and a light twin-engine aircraft that was conducting an instrument approach to the same airport.
Communications and Search
Following the near miss, the rental operator contacted the pilot on the UNICOM frequency and requested that he obtain a special VFR clearance to return and land. The pilot acknowledged this request. Subsequently, the aircraft became overdue, prompting a search operation.
Crash Site and Pilot
The search located the wreckage on heavily wooded, rising terrain. The terrain at the crash site sloped upward at approximately 40 degrees, with an elevation of about 1,000 feet MSL. The pilot was found deceased approximately half a mile from the wreckage.
Toxicological Findings
Toxicological tests conducted on the pilot's blood and urine revealed the presence of alcohol. The blood alcohol concentration was 0.039% and the urine alcohol concentration was 0.139%.