Incident Overview
At about 1430 MST, a jury found the pilot guilty of a 'pyramid scheme.' Approximately half an hour later, he arrived at an airport and rented a Cessna 152, then departed on a flight. A lineman who saw the pilot immediately before his departure described him as 'in a hurry' and 'curt in his manner.' At about 1515 MST, ground witnesses observed the airplane fly into the base of an upsloping mountain range, adjacent to power lines about five miles east of the airport.
Pilot Background
Individuals close to the pilot indicated that he was apprehensive about the possibility of going to jail, noting that 'since this was a second offense for the particular crime, he felt that if convicted, he would spend some years in jail.'
Toxicology Results
The Utah State Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death as 'suicide.' Toxicology tests of the pilot's blood showed a low level (0.006 mcg/ml) of Tetrahydrocannabinal Carboxylic Acid (THCCOOH, inactive metabolite of marijuana) in his blood and 0.015 mcg/ml of THCCOOH in his urine.