Incident
The pilot and his wife had flown to Dallas (Addison Airport) and spent the evening with friends. The return flight was initiated after midnight into low ceiling and drizzle. Approximately 12 minutes later, the wife contacted Dallas (Love Field) tower on emergency frequency 121.5 and reported that the pilot was sick and unable to control the aircraft.
ATC Assistance
The tower coordinated with the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for radar assistance and attempted to vector the aircraft to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW), about four miles south. The wife reported, "Can't see a thing." For approximately 18 minutes, efforts to bring the aircraft over DFW continued, with airport lighting at full intensity. The aircraft was instructed to make a shallow left turn toward DFW, and radar contact was lost shortly thereafter.
Investigation
Investigation revealed that the aircraft collided with terrain in a nose low, left-wing-down attitude. An autopsy of the pilot showed evidence of two previous myocardial infarctions and severe occlusive coronary atherosclerosis. A relative reported that the wife had a few hours of dual flight time but was not a pilot.