Accident Sequence
According to a flight instructor who witnessed the accident, the airplane approached the runway at a high altitude. The next time the instructor looked, the airplane was over trees at the departure end of the runway. The airplane was in a nose-high attitude, moving very slowly, and appeared to be on the edge of a stall. The airplane then yawed sharply to the left and entered a nose-down, near-vertical descent before disappearing into the trees.
Pilot Statement
Following the accident, the pilot spoke with an FAA inspector. The pilot stated that he did not remember anything about the accident.
Toxicology Findings
Postcrash toxicology tests detected the presence of marijuana metabolites. The test results were positive for 0.247 micrograms per milliliter of marijuana in urine and 0.027 micrograms per milliliter of marijuana in serum.
Aircraft Examination
An FAA inspector conducted a postcrash examination of the airplane's structure, flight controls, and engine. The examination revealed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction.