History of Flight
On January 25, 2019, at 1459 Pacific standard time, a Rockwell International 112, registration N1332J, was destroyed when it struck Mount Hood near the summit in Oregon. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot's wife, he often flew alone, sometimes to visit friends and family in Arizona. She stated he would sometimes go flying without her knowledge and be away for a weekend without contact. In the weeks before the accident, the pilot mentioned planning a trip to Arizona.
On the accident day, she arranged to meet him at their workplace but he was not there at 1100. He called and said he was at Troutdale Airport having maintenance performed.
When he did not return home by 1700, she texted him. The message was delivered but not read. Over the weekend, she continued messaging without reply, assuming he had gone away. Two days later, she reported him missing. After a local search, the FAA issued an alert notice (ALNOT).
Using cell phone forensics and an ELT signal heard near the eastern slopes of Mount Hood, the wreckage was located 4 days after the accident at 1520.
Radar data showed the airplane passed the Cascade Locks area at 1439, following the Columbia River eastbound. About 5 minutes later, it turned right to the south and by 1451 was approaching Mount Hood from the north at a Mode C altitude of about 10,000 ft msl. The airplane then made a counterclockwise, 6-mile-wide orbit around the 11,239-ft summit. Ground speed varied from about 147 knots southbound to 107 knots northbound. It gradually moved closer to the summit, reaching a maximum altitude of 11,900 ft msl about 1.5 miles north of the summit. As it passed to the west within about 1,500 ft horizontally, it then reached the southern face and began a rapid descent, with final radar targets indicating a vertical speed of about 2,500 ft per minute. The last target was at 1459:09 at 9,600 ft msl, about 400 ft northwest of the impact site.
The pilot did not make radio contact with Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center during the flight.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was purchased by the pilot in September 2000.
Neither the logbooks nor FAA airworthiness information indicated a GPS receiver was installed; however, a friend stated the pilot always carried an iPad mounted to the control yoke.
At the most recent annual inspection 7 days before the accident, FAA Airworthiness Directive 12-02-10 (inspection of elevator spar for cracks) was completed.
The most recent maintenance was a dynamic propeller balance about 2 hours before the accident. The mechanic noted that the annual inspection had revealed a crack in a turbocharger bracket, indicative of excessive vibration, prompting the balance. The procedure was routine and uneventful; the pilot wanted it done before a planned trip to Arizona the following week.
Fueling records showed 30 gallons of aviation gasoline added 3 days before the accident. There was no evidence the airplane had flown beyond the local area since.
According to the flight manual, at a gross weight of 2,650 lbs with gear and flaps retracted, the airplane's rate of climb at 12,000 ft with an outside temperature of -4°C would have been about 220 fpm.
Meteorological Information
The pilot did not request a weather briefing through Leidos. He used an iPad with ForeFlight software, but the subscription had expired in 2017. Whether he checked weather before or during the flight could not be determined.
During the hour before the accident, visual meteorological conditions and light surface wind (calm to 6 knots) existed at the departure airport and at Ken Jernstedt Airfield (4S2) in Hood River, Oregon (elevation 638 ft msl, about 19 miles north-northeast of the accident site).
Soundings from Salem, Oregon (KSLE), 62 miles west-southwest, at 1600 showed the lifted condensation level at 2,253 ft msl, convective condensation level at 12,926 ft msl, relative humidity below 60% from surface through 15,000 ft msl, freezing level at 10,821 ft msl. Alternating conditionally unstable and stable environments existed from surface through 19,000 ft msl, with conditionally unstable from 6,000 to 13,000 ft msl. No clouds or icing below 19,000 ft msl. Light to moderate clear-air turbulence possible in several layers above 2,000 ft msl, and moderate to severe mountain wave conditions between 5,500 and 7,000 ft with updraft/downdraft speeds up to 2,037 fpm. At 14,000 ft msl, moderate to severe mountain wave with updraft/downdraft speeds up to 1,315 fpm.
A Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulation indicated rapid wind speed changes near the accident site, from 20 to 48 knots over 1 kilometer. Vertical velocity data showed that during the first pass south of Mount Hood, the flight path was in updrafts of 100-300 fpm; during the second closer pass, it was in downdrafts greater than 2,000 fpm. Further analysis revealed rapidly changing updraft and downdraft conditions between 8,500 and 14,500 ft directly above and within 2 kilometers of Mount Hood around the accident time.
Winds and temperature aloft forecast for Portland, Oregon (PDX), about 47 miles northwest, indicated wind at 6,000 ft from 020° at 23 knots, temperature 9°C; at 9,000 ft from 360° at 31 knots, 2°C; at 12,000 ft from 360° at 34 knots, -4°C; at 18,000 ft from 350° at 45 knots, -15°C.
GOES-17 satellite imagery showed a small amount of cloud cover directly above Mount Hood, moving north to south. A stationary wave-like pattern was seen in clouds between the accident site and Mount Rainier, 100 miles north.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Due to the treacherous, remote site and avalanche threat, an on-scene examination could not be performed. First responders recovered the pilot but could not access the main wreckage. The description was compiled from photographs.
Fragmented sections were spread along the 70° slope of Eliot Glacier on the northeast flank of Mount Hood. The first identifiable point of impact was a horizontal slice in snow and ice at about 9,700 ft msl. Debris and slide marks extended down to the main wreckage at about 8,700 ft msl, comprising crushed fuselage, left wing fragments, and the entire right wing. The engine and horizontal stabilizer were about 200 ft below, with lowest debris around 8,000 ft msl. The area was strewn with crushed and fragmented components, surrounded by crevasses and deep, unstable snow.
The airplane was not insured, and immediate recovery was not possible. Seven months later, Forest Service representatives returned for reconnaissance, but most of the airplane had disappeared into a crevasse or been pulverized by avalanches. The airplane was never recovered.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Office of the State Medical Examiner, Clackamas, Oregon, determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries. The medical examiner noted recent diagnosis of hepatitis and early cirrhosis. No other significant natural disease was identified.
Postmortem toxicology by the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory was positive for oxycodone (0.35 mg/L), noroxycodone (0.30 mg/L), oxymorphone (<0.010 mg/L). Cannabinoids and modafinil were present in chest cavity blood but not quantified. Urine detected oxycodone, noroxycodone, cannabinoids, and modafinil.
FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory testing revealed the inactive marijuana metabolite THCA at 3 ng/mL in chest cavity blood. THC, 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC (20.3 ng/mL), and THCA (86.1 ng/mL) were detected in urine. Oxycodone was found in chest cavity blood (0.368 mg/L) and urine (7.993 mg/L). Oxymorphone was detected in chest cavity blood and urine (14.747 mg/L). Mitragynine and modafinil were found in chest cavity blood and urine; 7-hydroxymitragynine and metoclopramide only in urine.
Oxycodone is a synthetic opiate for severe pain, with warnings about impaired ability to drive or operate machinery. Therapeutic levels are typically 0.013-0.099 mg/L for infrequent users; tolerance is seen in chronic users. A study of 37 postmortem cases where oxycodone was incidental found concentrations from 0.017 to 1.300 mg/L. Noroxycodone is a weaker analgesic; oxymorphone has analgesic properties. Oxycodone is on the FAA do-not-fly list. The pilot did not mention oxycodone use at his last FAA medical application.
Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitraginine are psychoactive compounds from kratom, with stimulant or sedative effects depending on dose. The DEA considers it a drug of concern; the FDA has asked for Schedule I classification. Metoclopramide is a prescription medication for reflux, with side effects including restlessness, drowsiness, and fatigue, and can impair abilities needed to drive or operate machinery.
Personal medical records showed the pilot had back surgery in December 2017. In December 2018, he complained of fatigue, poor sleep, and continued back pain. He reported use of ibuprofen, kratom, and marijuana. He had a recent diagnosis of hepatitis C and esophageal reflux.
The pilot's wife reported he was experiencing lower back problems, presumed due to his physical work installing commercial flooring. He planned surgery the month after the accident.
The mechanic who performed the propeller balancing noted the pilot usually appeared in good health, but on the accident morning, he appeared in pain, hobbling, and had trouble getting in and out of the airplane.
Additional Information
The pilot's wife stated she had flown with him around Mount Hood on multiple occasions and provided a video of a previous flight. The video showed the airplane flying clockwise around the north face, about 1-2 miles from and level with the summit. Toward the end, the airplane flew almost directly over the area of the accident site.