Accident Overview
On March 28, 2012, about 1230 central daylight time, a Walling Vans RV-3, registration N34WC, collided with terrain shortly after landing on runway 30 at Zangger Vintage Airport (K2VA), Larchwood, Iowa. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from Marv Skie-Lincoln County Airport (KY14), Tea, South Dakota, about 1115.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot landed on runway 30, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway into an adjacent corn field. The main landing gear became mired in soft earth, causing the airplane to nose over and come to rest inverted. The canopy and vertical stabilizer were crushed. The pilot was secured with a five-point restraint system.
Pilot Information
The pilot was a 57-year-old physician. He held a third-class airman medical certificate issued February 27, 2012, with no restrictions. On his application, he did not report taking fluoxetine or trazodone. Previous medical certificate applications noted a history of anxiety and situational depression during medical school (1994), treated for 12 months with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The condition was resolved, and he was deemed eligible for certification in 1997.
Toxicology Findings
A toxicology screen by the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute detected 1.509 ug/mL fluoxetine and 0.866 ug/mL norfluoxetine in Iliac blood, along with fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in urine. Trazodone was present in both blood and urine. Fluoxetine is a prescription antidepressant and SSRI; its active metabolite is norfluoxetine. The FAA may issue a special issuance medical certificate after evaluation for pilots on this medication. Trazodone is a prescription antidepressant that inhibits serotonin uptake and is contraindicated for flying. All substances carry a warning: "May impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks (e.g., driving, operating heavy machinery)."