History of Flight
On June 27, 2020, about 0153 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R airplane, registration N315AM, was destroyed in an accident at a private airstrip near Zavalla, Texas. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to air traffic control information, the airplane departed David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH), Spring, Texas, at 0023 and arrived overhead the airstrip at 0059. During the next 54 minutes, the airplane maneuvered near the airstrip between 350 and 1,300 ft above ground level, with groundspeeds ranging from 65 to 143 knots. The airplane was last recorded near the approach end of the southwesterly runway at 350 ft agl and 94 knots ground speed.
Personnel Information
According to a flight instructor, the pilot purchased the airplane and began flying in 2016. The pilot discontinued training with the flight instructor in 2018 and never attempted to obtain a pilot certificate. The flight instructor stated he had not given the pilot any instrument flight training. According to the pilot’s wife, the pilot normally flew to the unlit airstrip at night and descended in a circular pattern until he visually identified the runway. The pilot had purchased runway edge lights for the airstrip but had not yet installed them at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airframe logbook recovered from the debris field showed the last annual inspection occurred on September 28, 2017, and the last maintenance entry was recorded on March 22, 2018. The airplane’s registration was expired at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
An Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET) advisory valid at the accident location described instrument conditions due to precipitation and mist. No record existed that the pilot received weather information before or during the accident flight.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane impacted trees 670 ft north of the southwest oriented runway threshold and came to rest 375 ft southeast of the initial impact. A post-crash fire ensued. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on specimens from the pilot. Methamphetamine was identified at 2,112 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) in liver tissue and 2,654 ng/mL in urine. Amphetamine was identified at 642 ng/mL in liver; urine testing for amphetamine was inconclusive. Delta-9-THC was identified at 6.4 ng/mL in liver and was not detected in urine. 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC was detected at 8.5 ng/mL in liver and was not detected in urine. Carboxy-delta-9-THC was detected at 510 ng/mL in liver and 31 ng/mL in urine. Phenylpropanolamine was detected in urine and liver.
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug. Amphetamine is a metabolite of methamphetamine and is also a central nervous system stimulant. Both are DEA Schedule II controlled substances with a high potential for abuse and dependence. Delta-9-THC is the primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis and hashish, and can impair motor coordination, reaction time, decision making, problem solving, and vigilance. Phenylpropanolamine is a chemical that can be used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine.