History of Flight
On April 4, 2024, at approximately 1633 central daylight time, a Davis DA-3 aircraft (N88DT) was destroyed in an accident near Antlers, Oklahoma. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
A witness reported a brief conversation with the pilot between 1530 and 1600 at Stan Stamper Municipal Airport (HHW) in Hugo, Oklahoma. The pilot then departed in the accident airplane. The airplane appeared to perform normally, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
A second witness observed the airplane arriving at Antlers Municipal Airport (80F) between 1600 and 1630. Two men met the pilot, and all three boarded the airplane. The pilot then departed toward the south. The takeoff appeared routine and no obvious anomalies were noted.
At 1633, local authorities received a report of an explosion. First responders observed the crashed airplane with an active fire. There were no known witnesses to the accident itself, and no ADS-B data related to the flight was located. The airplane came to rest adjacent to a large tree about 1.4 miles south-southwest of 80F. Multiple smaller trees and low brush were present at the site. A post-impact fire consumed portions of the fuselage and charred the large tree. Low brush was burned over a large area surrounding the airplane.
Personnel Information
The pilot’s logbook was not available for review. At the time of his most recent medical certificate application in January 2022, he reported 112 hours total flight experience. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate without limitations at that time. That certificate expired on January 31, 2024, and no subsequent medical certificate applications were on file. The pilot did not hold a valid medical certificate or BasicMed certification at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The previous owner of the airplane reported that the airplane’s handling qualities were excellent, noting that it was difficult to aerodynamically stall under normal conditions. The previous owner checked out the accident pilot when he bought the airplane and commented that he was “very good at low-speed maneuvering.” During that checkout flight, the pilot inadvertently turned off the fuel valve with his foot while they were on the ground. The previous owner reported that the airplane was comparable to a Cessna 150 but with better handling qualities. The airplane was placarded for 1,200 lbs maximum gross weight. The previous owner recommended not putting a third person in the airplane because it was underpowered. Maintenance records for the airplane were not available for review.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane exhibited impact and post-impact fire damage. The forward section of the fuselage and portions of both wings were consumed. Both wings were separated near the wing roots and rested adjacent to the fuselage. The fracture surfaces appeared consistent with overstress. Flight controls remained attached to the airframe, and control continuity was confirmed from each control surface to the cockpit area.
The engine was separated from the airframe and rested inverted on the ground near the fuselage. It exhibited localized impact damage. The entire engine was discolored, and an area of the accessory case was consumed, consistent with post-impact fire. An on-scene examination, including borescope inspection of the cylinders, did not identify any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction; however, the examination was limited by the extent of the fire damage. The propeller shaft extension from the propeller to the engine was intact, and the bolts were secure with properly installed safety wire. The propeller was not observed, but the retaining plates and propeller attachment bolts appeared intact and undamaged.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Tulsa, Oklahoma, performed an autopsy of the pilot. The cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the accident. The autopsy noted the presence of coronary artery disease, including approximately 60-70% narrowing of the right coronary artery and 10-20% narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery by plaque. Visual examination of the heart did not identify other significant disease.
Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected diphenhydramine in heart blood and in liver tissue, though no specific levels were reported. Norchlorcyclizine was detected at a low level in heart blood and at 53 ng/g in liver tissue. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine medication widely available over the counter in sleep aids and cold and allergy products. It can cause cognitive and psychomotor slowing and drowsiness, and often carries warnings about driving and operating machinery. Diphenhydramine has significant potential for postmortem redistribution. Norchlorcyclizine is a metabolite of the antihistamines chlorcyclizine, hydroxyzine, and meclizine, and may be an impurity in some formulations of cetirizine. Those medications were not detected in this case. Norchlorcyclizine itself has not been established to have impairing effects.