Accident Overview
On April 13, 2023, at approximately 1330 central daylight time, a Junior Ace airplane, registration N5545, was substantially damaged after colliding with a rock wall in a quarry near Mammoth Springs, Arkansas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight History
The flight originated from the owner-pilot’s private airstrip in Ash Flat, Arkansas, located about 16 miles from the accident site. Witnesses near the quarry reported observing the airplane circling over the area. On its final pass, the airplane was seen diving into the quarry and striking a vertical rock wall.
Accident Site
The accident occurred within a rock quarry. Examination revealed that the airplane impacted a 75-foot-tall rock wall approximately 20 feet below the top edge. Damage to the airplane was consistent with a high-energy impact.
Aircraft Examination
Postaccident examinations of the airframe and engine found no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Pilot Information
The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory performed an autopsy on the pilot. The autopsy report listed the cause of death as multiple injuries and the manner of death as suicide. Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.048 grams per deciliter, along with n-propanol, in cavity blood. Neither ethanol nor n-propanol was detected in vitreous fluid. The report noted that ethanol can be produced by postmortem microbial activity, and that n-propanol may indicate such activity. Vitreous fluid is generally considered more reliable for detecting antemortem ethanol consumption.