Accident Overview
The airplane was reported missing and later discovered destroyed in a wooded area by search and rescue personnel. The wreckage path was consistent with a high-speed descent into terrain. Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies.
Pilot Medical Condition
The pilot had multiple serious medical conditions. According to Federal Aviation Regulations, several of these conditions are specified as disqualifying for all classes of medical certificate. Specifically, the pilot had a thinned bulging section of heart wall, congestive heart failure, cardiac chest pain, coronary heart disease requiring angioplasty and bypass surgery complicated by atrial fibrillation, and diabetes requiring insulin and oral hypoglycemic medication. He also had significant disease of his heart valves.
Disclosure of Conditions
Neither the pilot nor his personal physician, who also served as his Aviation Medical Examiner for many years, informed the Federal Aviation Administration about the pilot's conditions. This nondisclosure occurred on seven applications for Airman Medical Certificates, despite both the pilot and the Aviation Medical Examiner being aware of the conditions at the time of each application.