On November 23, 1990, a Beech B55 (registration N811J) operated by Hanneman, Delmar R. was involved in an aviation accident near England, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF ALTITUDE, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO ARREST DESCENT FROM A DIVE. THE PILOT'S IMPAIRED JUDGMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ETHANOL (ALCOHOL) WAS A FACTOR. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft on a flight from Lincoln, Kansas to England, Arkansas crashed after witnesses observed erratic flying near a lake. Investigation found no preimpact failure, but toxicology detected ethanol in the pilot's system, partly from pre-accident ingestion.
Incident Overview
An aircraft was conducting a flight from Lincoln, Kansas to England, Arkansas. Witnesses near the destination observed the aircraft flying erratically in the vicinity of a lake. They attributed the maneuvers to an attempt by the pilot to gain their recognition in the form of a greeting. The aircraft subsequently crashed while flying toward the lake.
Investigation Findings
An investigation revealed evidence that the aircraft entered a dive and impacted the ground at a high rate of speed before arresting the descent. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the aircraft or its engines was found.
Toxicology Results
Toxicology testing revealed the presence of widely varying levels of ethanol in the pilot's blood (79 mg/dL or 0.079%), lung (65 mg/dL), and spleen (36 mg/dL), as well as a considerable amount (127 mg/dL) in his urine. The toxicologist indicated that some of the ethanol may have been from putrefaction, but some was from pre-accident ingestion by the pilot.