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.