What happened
During a night flight, a non-certificated pilot was maneuvering the aircraft in the vicinity of a friend's residence. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck trees and underwent an uncontrolled descent to the ground.
The investigation
The Investigator in Charge estimated that the pilot had accumulated 371 hours of flight time. Post-accident examination confirmed both engine continuity and the functionality of the flight controls. Investigators found no evidence of mechanical anomalies occurring prior to the impact.
Findings
Toxicological analysis was conducted by a medical laboratory, a state crime laboratory, and the Central Aeromedical Instrumentation (CAMI) laboratory. All tests returned positive results for alcohol.
According to Dr. Canfield of CAMI, the testing revealed an ethanol concentration of 189.00 mg/dL (.189%) in the blood, 181.000 mg/dL (.181%) in the vitreous fluid, and 251.000 mg/dL (.251%) in the urine. These levels indicated recent ingestion of alcohol, which, in the medical examiner's opinion, would result in the impairment of the pilot.