Incident Overview
On the morning of April 20, 1985, an aircraft was found crashed about three miles west-northwest of an airport, following an unauthorized flight the previous night. The aircraft had been taken without the knowledge or consent of the operator or airport officials by two individuals, neither of whom held any pilot rating. Both were employed by the operator as line boys, with one still employed and having access to the office.
Flight and Crash
The two individuals took off at night. After a short time, they returned to the airport to land. During the attempted landing, the aircraft touched down hard, bounced twice, and then departed toward the southwest. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed approximately three miles west-northwest of the airport. The wreckage was not located until late on the morning of April 20, 1985. The impact occurred near a high-tension power line while the aircraft was at high speed in a nose-low, slightly right-wing-low attitude, and on a heading of 140 degrees. An investigation revealed that the aircraft did not collide with the wires.
Investigation Findings
Toxicology tests showed that the left front seat occupant had a blood alcohol level of 0.239%, and the right front occupant had a level of 0.184%. Both had been drinking beer for some time prior to the flight. Neither occupant had used the available seat belt or shoulder harness.