History of Flight
On November 30, 2018, about 1805 eastern standard time, a Cessna 210D, registration N3995Y, was destroyed when it impacted terrain and burned in Apalachicola, Florida. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Earlier that day, the pilot flew into Apalachicola Regional Airport (AAF) around 1000, rented a car, and left for business. He returned about 1730 for preflight preparations. The pilot asked a lineman about airspace restrictions to the east; the lineman replied there were none (military airspace was west). The pilot departed to the east around 1800.
Another pilot approaching AAF from the west communicated with the accident pilot. That witness then observed a fireball about three miles away at his ten-thirty position and heard no distress calls. Wreckage was located in a remote marsh adjacent to the Apalachicola River about two miles north of AAF.
Personnel Information
The pilot's total flight time was taken from his FAA third-class medical certificate application dated January 22, 2018. A damaged pilot logbook found in the wreckage contained four logged flights, the last two indicating dual instruction; dates were illegible due to fire damage.
The instructor who conducted those dual flights stated they were for a flight review, the most recent on November 21, 2017. The instructor did not endorse the pilot for a flight review and made no further flights with him. The instructor's written record of that flight included missed checklist items, heading and altitude deviations, and comments that the pilot was "getting behind the airplane" and needed improvement in "situational awareness and multitasking."
The pilot originally received a medical certificate in 2001, reporting use of social anxiety medication then and in 2002. He again reported the medication in 2005, and the FAA revoked his certificate. After the pilot provided information that he no longer used antidepressants or other psychotropic medications, the certificate was reinstated. During his most recent FAA examination in July 2018, he was diagnosed with diabetes and did not receive a certificate initially; after treatment, he was issued a special issuance third-class medical certificate.
Aircraft Information
Airplane and engine logbooks were not located; records came from a maintenance facility in Fort Myers, Florida, used by the pilot.
Meteorological Information
The accident time correlated with the end of civil twilight.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane's right wing struck the base of a cypress tree—the initial impact point. Nearby components included right wing parts, a main landing gear strut, and the propeller. The wreckage path oriented on a heading of 100° and measured about 304 ft in length. The main wreckage, about 274 ft from the initial impact, consisted of fuselage, cockpit, left wing, and empennage, with postaccident fire damage. The engine separated and was found about 304 ft from the initial impact.
All structural components were accounted for. Flight control continuity was established for elevator and rudder; aileron cables had tension overload fractures but remained attached at both ends. Landing gear was extended; flap actuator was in the retracted (flaps up) position.
Engine examination at the manufacturer's facility revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure. Magnetos produced spark at all leads on a test bench.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the State of Florida, District Two Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as multiple blunt traumatic injuries. Clinical testing showed low glucose in vitreous specimens and a normal postmortem hemoglobin A1c of 5.7%.
Toxicology testing by the FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified venlafaxine (and its metabolite desmethylvenlafaxine), alfuzosin, and loratadine (and desloratadine) in cavity blood and urine; acetaminophen, naproxen, and famotidine in urine. No carbon monoxide or ethanol were detected. Venlafaxine (Effexor) is an antidepressant with few side effects, but underlying depression can cause cognitive effects. Alfuzosin treats enlarged prostate; loratadine is a nonsedating antihistamine; acetaminophen, naproxen, and famotidine are over-the-counter medications generally not considered impairing.
Primary care physician records from the last three years indicated the pilot had depression but did not mention his mental state or severity of symptoms.
Additional Information
The FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge notes that a "false horizon" can lead to spatial disorientation, where ground light patterns provide inaccurate visual information, potentially placing the aircraft in a dangerous attitude. An FAA brochure on spatial disorientation explains that vestibular illusions are likely under conditions with unreliable external visual references; the head-up illusion (causing a pushover response) can occur during a night takeoff from a well-lit airport into a dark sky ("black hole").