History of Flight
On January 7, 2019, about 1050 Pacific standard time, a Beech A36, registration N100JB, was destroyed in an accident near Colusa, California. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
A witness at Colusa Airport (O08) reported seeing the airplane taxi and hearing the pilot announce departure from runway 13 on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency. The witness estimated the cloud ceiling at about 500 ft above ground level with visibility of about 1 mile.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot received an instrument flight rules clearance to Palo Alto, California, before departure but did not contact air traffic control after takeoff. Radar data showed the airplane departed runway 13 and turned to a southwesterly heading. About 10 seconds later, as it ascended through about 725 ft mean sea level (msl) at a groundspeed of about 130 knots, a right turn began. During the initial turn, the airplane continued climbing to about 825 ft msl, where it remained for about 7 seconds. The data then showed a descent with increasing groundspeed while continuing the right turn for about 15 seconds until radar contact was lost. The last radar target was near the accident site at an altitude of 75 ft msl and groundspeed of about 160 knots.
Personnel Information
The pilot did not hold a valid medical certificate at the time of the accident. His most recent medical certificate application was dated January 18, 2005, reporting 1,500 hours of total flight experience. FAA records indicated the pilot had reported hay fever and knee pain, along with intermittent use of chlorpheniramine. Correspondence from May 2006 stated the pilot had a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder type II, a history of attempted suicide, and had been prescribed Effexor (venlafaxine), Wellbutrin (bupropion), and Lamictal (lamotrigine). The pilot surrendered his medical certificate after the FAA requested further medical information, which he declined to provide. The pilot's logbooks were not located during the investigation.
Meteorological Information
The terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) for a station about 26 miles east of the accident site forecast wind from 180° at 9 knots, visibility better than 6 miles, ceiling broken at 3,000 ft agl, overcast at 6,000 ft, with altimeter 30.03 inches of mercury. A temporary period from 0900 to 1100 forecast ceiling broken at 1,500 ft. No record was found of the pilot requesting a weather briefing or filing a flight plan.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Local law enforcement reported the airplane impacted a water irrigation pond 1.8 miles southwest of O08. The wreckage, mostly submerged in about 5 ft of water, was recovered for examination. The airframe was fragmented; the instrument panel displaced and instruments separated. One attitude indicator showed light scoring on the gyro and gimbal. One vacuum pump was intact and undamaged; another had separated components.
The left wing was bent and buckled, with flap and aileron attached. The right wing was fragmented; a majority was not recovered. Flight control continuity could not be established. Control cable fractures were consistent with overload separation or recovery cuts.
The turbine engine separated from its mount; the compressor section separated. The propeller gearbox and governor were not recovered. The engine exhibited extensive impact damage. Multiple stages of compressor rotor blades showed bending and fractures opposite rotation. Turbine blade tip rub marks were noted. No preimpact anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as high-velocity deceleration injury. Extensive coronary artery disease (90-99% occlusion in multiple arteries) was identified, with evidence of previous ischemia. The pilot also had hypertensive cardiomyopathy and a clinical history of poorly controlled diabetes with kidney damage and bipolar disease.
Toxicology testing on cavity blood identified venlafaxine, desmethylvenlafaxine, bupropion, hydroxybupropion, and lamotrigine. FAA forensic toxicology identified zolpidem (level too low to quantify), venlafaxine, desmethylvenlafaxine, bupropion, hydroxybupropion, and lamotrigine in liver and muscle tissue. Zolpidem is a Schedule IV controlled substance for short-term insomnia treatment; it can cause rapid sedation and psychoactive effects. Venlafaxine is an antidepressant; bupropion is an antidepressant or smoking cessation aid that can increase seizure risk; lamotrigine is an antiseizure medication used for mood stabilization. The direct effects of these drugs on vehicle operation were not reported as studied in the source.