Accident Overview
A 3,805-hour instrument-rated private pilot lost control of a single-engine airplane while executing an instrument approach under instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot had been informed by an air traffic controller to expect the ILS/DME RWY 17 instrument approach into the destination airport. The pilot acknowledged, and the controller began providing altitudes and headings to join the approach’s localizer signal.
Flight Path and Radar Data
A review of radar data revealed that instead of tracking the localizer, the airplane began a series of left and right climbing and descending turns along the localizer course. It then initiated a descending right turn to the west before the data ended. At that time, the airplane’s altitude was 1,900 feet msl and its ground speed was 173 knots.
Witness Observation
A witness, who was a commercial pilot in hot-air balloons, heard the sound of an airplane engine "revving up" and observed the airplane as it exited a 500- to 600-foot overcast layer. He said the airplane was in a descending 45-degree nose-down turn until it impacted the ground.
Weather Conditions
Weather at the time of the accident was visibility 4 statute miles with mist, a ceiling of 600 feet broken, and overcast at 1,200 feet.
Toxicology and Medical Information
Toxicological testing conducted on the pilot was negative for alcohol, carbon monoxide, and illegal drugs. However, testing detected doxazosin (prescribed for an enlarged prostate) in the kidney and liver, doxylamine (an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects) in the kidney and liver, and trimethoprim (a prescription antibiotic) in the liver. No blood was available for testing.
According to a family member, the pilot had been complaining of headaches prior to the accident and thought they might be due to a sinus infection. The pilot had been taking Nasonex (a prescription nasally inhaled steroid) regularly at the time of the accident. The family member also noted that the pilot had taken Alka-Seltzer Plus approximately 12 hours prior to the accident flight. The pilot’s last application for an Airman Medical Certificate in January 2005 had indicated the use of medications but had not detailed the medications used.
Autopsy Findings
According to the autopsy report, "...The cause of death could not be determined. This is, at least, in part due to the severe traumatic injury of the body with destruction of vital organs precluding their examination. In addition, from the investigative information, it is not clear whether [the pilot] was alive or dead as the plane descended to the ground."