History of Flight
On November 23, 2012, at an undetermined time, a Piper PA28-160, registration N5076W, impacted desert terrain approximately 30 miles south of Tacna, Arizona. The flight was operated by the owner/pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. The aircraft departed Tucson International Airport (TUS) at 0957; the destination was unknown. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The aircraft's wreckage was discovered on November 28, 2012, by a US Customs and Border Patrol agent. The accident site was located about 28 miles south of Highway 8, inside restricted area R-2301W, approximately 160 miles west of TUS.
Fueling records from Atlantic Aviation-Tucson showed that the airplane was last fueled on the day of the accident with 15.1 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The service technician also added air to the nose wheel tire at the pilot's request. The pilot taxied out, took off using taxiway D, and flew southbound.
According to an FAA Mandatory Occurrence Report, an unidentified Piper PA-28 departed TUS from taxiway D at 0957 UTC without communicating with air traffic control. The pilot turned right toward Victor Airway 66/106. The air traffic facility filed the report.
Pilot Information
The 49-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. No personal flight records were located. Her most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on April 25, 2001, with no limitations. At that time, she reported 250 total flight hours, with 45 hours in the preceding 6 months.
The pilot's husband stated that she had been treated for depression, a seizure disorder (seizure-free for 3-4 years), and opiate addiction. She used lamotrigine for migraine headaches. He reported that she began acting strangely 3-4 weeks before the accident, mentioning seeing the face of god. In phone conversations the night prior, she expressed concern about men in black helicopters watching her. On the accident day, she left a voicemail appearing paranoid, saying she was going to fly to get away from "them."
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Piper PA28-160, serial number 28-85, with a Lycoming O-320-B2B engine (serial number L-4358-39). No maintenance or logbook records were located for either the airframe or engine.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located 28 miles south of Highway 8, about 650 feet west of Papago Road, within restricted area R-2301W. The first identified point of contact was a ground scar, and the debris path followed a magnetic heading of 140 degrees. The inverted fuselage was oriented at 320 degrees. Elevation at the site was 851 feet msl.
Examination of the wreckage at Air Transport in Phoenix on November 30, 2012, revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction. Both wings displayed front impact compression damage consistent with a high-velocity impact at 75-80 degrees from horizontal. The pitch trim drum showed approximately 12 threads of inner shaft extension, consistent with about 75% nose-up trim. The propeller blades exhibited aft bending and face polishing, with damage consistent with little or no power at impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination conducted by the Yuma County Medical Examiner's Office on December 3, 2012, determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries; the manner of death was undetermined. The autopsy was limited due to the extent of injury and decomposition. No underlying natural disease was identified.
Toxicology testing performed by the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute detected ethanol in the liver (10 mg/hg) but not in muscle; the report stated the ethanol was from sources other than ingestion. Diphenhydramine and lamotrigine were detected in liver and muscle. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was detected in the lung (0.0165 ug/g), and its metabolite was found in liver, kidney, and lung.
Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine that may impair mental or physical ability. Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant with possible side effects including loss of balance, drowsiness, and double vision. THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana, with effects ranging from euphoria to disorientation and psychosis.
Air Traffic Control and Radar Data
ATC radar data from Tucson and en-route radars did not provide returns coincidental to the suspected flight path. AMOC reviewed primary radar data from an aerostat sensor and provided a partial track that could have been N5076W, though no assertion was made that it represented the accident aircraft's full path.