Accident Details
On April 11, 2024, at approximately 2021 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161 airplane, registration N564PU, was destroyed in a crash near Montmorenci, Indiana. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to ADS-B data, the airplane departed Purdue University Airport (LAF) in Lafayette, Indiana, around 1940 for a local night flight. It departed runway 28, performed four traffic pattern landings, then continued northwest, climbing to about 4,000 feet mean sea level. About 10 miles from LAF, the airplane made numerous turns before data transmission ceased at approximately 2021. The wreckage was located the following day around 1400 by local law enforcement.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was found in an agricultural field, distributed along a magnetic heading of about 350°. The initial impact point was about 70 feet from the main wreckage and contained the two-bladed propeller, propeller hub, and several separated lower fuselage sections. Fragments of the left wing, engine components, and interior were strewn between the impact point and the main wreckage. Both wing leading edges were crushed aft to the mid-chord line, and the forward fuselage was crushed aft to the mid-cabin. The damage pattern was consistent with a high-angle, high-energy impact with terrain.
Postaccident Findings
A postaccident examination revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
An autopsy performed by the First Forensic Medical Laboratories in Lafayette, Indiana, listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma and the manner of death as suicide.
Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected two metabolites of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 THC): the psychoactive metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC in urine, and the non-psychoactive metabolite carboxy-delta-9-THC in cavity blood and urine. Caffeine and cotinine were also detected in cavity blood. Caffeine is a common stimulant, and cotinine is a nicotine metabolite; neither is generally considered impairing.
The pilot left behind two notes—one addressed to a family member and a general note—both indicating an intention to commit suicide.