Accident Overview
An airplane arrived at an airport around 1900, was refueled, and departed approximately 1926. When the flight plan was not closed, an ALNOT was issued. The wreckage was found the following morning on a direct path to the destination. The airplane had struck trees in mountainous terrain at the 10,500-foot level.
Weather Conditions
According to a deputy sheriff, low clouds and light rain obscured the mountain range, and at the time of the accident, it was getting dark.
Flight Path Analysis
Data downloaded from a hand-held GPS revealed the airplane took off and turned east. It climbed to an altitude of 10,400 feet, then descended and flew at altitudes between 9,800 feet and 10,000 feet. Two minutes before impact, the airplane began climbing. When the ground track was overlaid on a 3-dimensional map, the airplane's altitude began to increase as it approached rising terrain.
Toxicology Results
A toxicological screen was performed by FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI). In addition to detecting metoprolol in blood and liver, quinine was detected in the liver. Also, 0.044 (ug/mL, ug/g) and 2.618 (ug/mL, ug/g) paroxetine was detected in blood and liver, respectively. According to Kaiser Permanente's Drug Encyclopedia, the medication is "a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder (social phobia), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorders (GAD). SSRI's work by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances in the brain (neurotransmitters)."