Accident Sequence
During a flight, the pilot contacted Salt Lake City ARTCC and reported, "I've lost an engine and the cockpit is filling with smoke." Approximately five minutes later, the pilot added, "my cylinders are all blown, I've got smoke comin' through." The pilot stated that he would shut off the electrical power as soon as the landing gear was down.
A witness observed the airplane, N3861K, emerge from behind a one-story building. The airplane was flying "what appeared to be straight up in the air, and then it veered sharply to the right, then went straight down."
Aircraft Modifications and Maintenance
The airplane had been modified with a turbonormalizing system. The installer of the system recommended that the tailpipe be removed for internal inspection of the turbocharger every 100 hours.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the turbine exhaust flange revealed that a 3-inch portion was missing. The fuel selector was found positioned on the right main fuel tank. Several items from the airplane were located outside the postimpact fire area and exhibited fire damage: the cabin entrance door, the cargo door, a passenger's shoe, and the engine cowling. The firewall had an 18-inch hole burned through it.
Toxicology
Toxicology tests performed on the pilot detected the presence of fluoxetine (trade name Prozac), a non-approved drug for flight status, in his blood.