Incident
On a fish spotting flight, the pilot made a distress call to other company pilots stating that he did not feel well and was returning to the airport. He reported feeling sick and "a little nauseated." Subsequently, radio contact was lost, and the aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
Background
Before the flight, the pilot had breakfast, flew for four hours, attended a safety meeting, and went to a health club. According to company pilots, he was upset over reprimands received at the safety meeting, was stressed due to monetary concerns, worried about his job, and was concerned about his blood pressure. However, he would fly while fatigued or when not feeling well. He reportedly had not slept well the previous night. After a partial workout and a steam room session, he was seen holding his head in his hands outside the steam room. He said he had stayed in the steam room too long and felt "quizzy like was going to throw up, like over doing it." He did not eat lunch but rested before the flight.
Medical History
The pilot was noted to have high blood pressure when he applied for a second-class medical certificate on March 3, 1997. The certificate was issued after evaluation by a cardiologist, and he was prescribed Tenormin (atenolol) and Lipitor (atorvastatin). Tenormin reduces resting and exercise heart rate and is acceptable to the FAA for controlling blood pressure. Lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering agent.
Toxicology
Toxicology testing revealed trace amounts of diphenhydramine (trade name Benadryl), an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine, in the pilot's liver and kidney fluids.