Accident Overview
On May 21, 2023, at approximately 1447 eastern daylight time, a Cessna R182, registration N182LG, was destroyed when it collided with terrain and trees during takeoff from Nocarva Airport (NC10) near Macon, North Carolina. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The airplane was departing from runway 18, which was a turf surface measuring 1,900 feet long and 100 feet wide. According to a witness who is also a pilot, and video footage, the airplane traveled along the runway in a nose-high attitude with the tail dragging on the turf. It lifted off while still nose high, the wings buffeted, and the airplane drifted left into trees. The engine was heard operating continuously, and no abnormal engine sounds were noted.
Wreckage Examination
A postimpact fire consumed most of the wreckage, which came to rest in a wooded area to the left of the runway, approximately three-quarters of the way down the runway. The wreckage was recovered and examined.
Elevator control cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the elevator bell cranks, and rudder cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit pedals to recovery cuts at the rear empennage. The aileron cable remained attached at the left and right aileron bellcranks and in the cockpit, but the section from the cockpit to the wing was not identified. Measurement of the flap jackscrew corresponded to a flaps-near-retracted position, with between 0° and 2° extension. The elevator trim actuator measurement indicated a full tab-down (nose-up) position. The pilot’s seat tracks were not identified.
The engine remained attached to the airframe and was separated for examination. The three-blade propeller was attached to the crankshaft flange. One blade exhibited s-bending, one was bent forward, and the third was bent aft; all blades had chordwise scrapes. Borescope examination of the cylinders revealed no anomalies. The top spark plugs were removed; their electrodes were intact and sooty. Manual rotation of the propeller confirmed continuity of the crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was attained on all cylinders. Due to fire damage, the ignition and fuel systems could not be tested. The overall examination found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
A review of the pilot operating handbook for the make and model airplane indicated that the before-takeoff checklist includes setting the elevator trim to the takeoff position.
Toxicology
An autopsy performed by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the pilot’s cause of death as thermal injuries and inhalation of products of combustion, with the manner of death being accident. Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected cetirizine (32 ng/mL in heart blood, 223 ng/mL in liver tissue) and naproxen (present in heart blood and liver tissue).
Cetirizine is a second-generation antihistamine available over the counter, commonly used for allergy symptoms. It often carries a drowsiness warning, and the FAA recommends a 48-hour waiting period after use before flying. Studies on its sedating effects are mixed. The investigation could not determine whether cetirizine had any impairing or sedating effect on the pilot at the time of the accident. Naproxen, an anti-inflammatory medication, is not generally considered impairing. Other detected substances were attributable to the pilot’s postaccident medical care.