Accident Sequence
A witness observed a pilot arrive at an airport drinking from a quart of beer that was approximately half full. The pilot appeared "sleepy eyed" and soon fell asleep in a chair. About 40 minutes later, he woke up, "staggered" around, and asked the witness if he was going to fly. The witness informed the pilot that the weather was too bad to fly (300-foot overcast ceiling; 0-1 mile visibility). The pilot then left the hangar.
Several minutes later, the witness heard the accident airplane take off and fly for about 15 minutes. A second witness could hear an airplane flying but could only see its silhouette through the fog. She observed the airplane make two passes over a field in her backyard. During the second pass, the airplane was level just above the tree tops and descending, with the engine running. She then heard the sound of the throttle being "cut" and thought the pilot was trying to make a landing to "get out of the weather." Shortly after, the airplane impacted a trailer in the witness's backyard.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies. A handheld GPS unit showed the airplane departed from runway 26 at Valley Point Airport and headed west, then circled to the south, and then headed north for about 5-6 miles before impacting the ground.
Weather at an airport about 12 miles west of the accident site included an overcast cloud layer at 300 feet and 1.5 miles visibility with light rain and mist.
According to the pilot's autopsy report, the pilot had a blood alcohol level of 0.17%. Toxicological testing revealed ethanol in his blood and urine.