Accident Sequence
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane enter a steep bank and descend vertically to the ground. After the accident, an examination of the airframe and engine found no mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation.
Prior to departure, the operator observed the airplane taxiing for takeoff at a high speed. The operator contacted the air traffic control tower and requested that a message be relayed to the pilot to return to the ramp. However, the airplane had already taken off by the time the message was relayed. The pilot acknowledged receiving the message, but radar data indicated that the airplane did not turn back toward the airport. Instead, it continued to the accident site.
Background
The accident site was located adjacent to a church where a friend of the pilot was attending services. According to reports, the friend had declined a marriage proposal from the pilot the night before the accident.
Toxicology
The medical examiner classified the pilot's death as a suicide. Toxicological testing detected diazepam (Valium) and nordiazepam, a metabolite of diazepam, in tissue samples. Specifically, 0.028 ug/ml diazepam was found in kidney tissue, 0.077 ug/ml in liver tissue, along with 0.134 ug/ml nordiazepam in liver tissue and 0.069 ug/ml in kidney tissue. The Federal Aviation Administration does not approve the use of diazepam by pilots.