Accident Narrative
A witness reported that the airplane touched down on runway 21 and suddenly veered to the right. It departed the runway, crossed a median and a parallel taxiway, then traversed the parking ramp before colliding with a hangar 'at a high rate of speed.' The collision also damaged a sign, a pickup truck parked outside, and an airplane inside the hangar.
After the collision, the airplane's rear engine continued to run at full power. The witness drove to the accident site and attempted to access the cockpit from outside to shut down the engine. When that failed, he entered the hangar and tried to reach inside the cockpit. The engine stopped running shortly thereafter.
Witness Accounts
Another witness heard the airplane's engines running at 'full throttle' and observed the airplane 'hopping and fishtailing' across the ground. Upon arriving at the scene, this witness noted that the rear propeller was striking a blue-colored pickup truck parked next to the hangar, and oil was 'spraying everywhere.' The engine eventually shut down, and the propeller moved to the feathered position.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane was later removed from the hangar and examined. No discrepancies were found with the steering or brake systems.
Medical Findings
According to the pilot's autopsy report, the pathologist identified 'focal, severe hardening (atherosclerosis) of the aorta within the abdomen.' The heart showed changes (fibrosis) consistent with a previous ischemic episode (heart attack). The pathologist opined that, given the severity of coronary artery hardening, the decedent may have been in the early stages of a heart attack (coronary artery insufficiency). He noted that changes of ischemia in the heart muscle often take hours to become evident microscopically, so the decedent may have experienced decreased blood flow without immediate microscopic evidence. Decreased blood flow due to coronary insufficiency can rapidly cause irregular heartbeat and/or unconsciousness.
Toxicological analysis was performed by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The report indicated the presence of diltiazem in the blood and liver. According to the Kaiser Permanente Drug Encyclopedia, diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and chest pain (angina), and may also be used for irregular heartbeat.