Incident Overview
A pilot took an airplane without the owner's permission and departed from an airport located near his residence. According to the investigation, the flight lasted approximately 25 minutes before the airplane collided with the west side of Mount Rubidoux, which is situated about one mile east-southeast of the departure airport.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the crash site indicated that the airplane struck rising terrain while in a near level flight attitude. No further details about the impact dynamics were provided in the investigation records.
Pilot Background
Acquaintances reported that the pilot was familiar with the area, having flown from the same airport for over 10 years. They also noted that he had recently lost his job and was experiencing depression.
Toxicology Results
Toxicology analysis of the pilot's blood detected cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine at concentrations of 340 ng/mL and 1330 ng/mL, respectively.