Accident Overview
An aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) was in contact with air traffic control (ATC) and received a discreet transponder code. Radar contact was maintained at an altitude of 4,500 feet. The pilot requested a VFR descent from 4,500 feet and was cleared to "descend unrestricted west bound." Radar and radio contact were subsequently lost at an altitude of 2,700 feet.
Search and Rescue Efforts
The controller attempted to re-establish radio contact with the pilot ten times before initiating search and rescue operations. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the wreckage using the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter. The following day, a ground search was halted due to hazardous terrain. Search and rescue personnel were airlifted into the crash site to remove the victim. A police helicopter was vectored to the crash site by ATC approximately 1.5 hours after contact was lost. The police pilot reported that fog prevented flying near the site, with the ceiling estimated at 2,400 feet.
Accident Site and Impact
The aircraft impacted in heavily wooded, mountainous terrain at the 2,700-foot level of a 3,524-foot mountain.
Toxicology
Toxicology tests detected venlafaxine and desmethylvenlafaxine in the pilot's blood. The levels found were consistent with the recent ingestion of more than ten times a normal dose of venlafaxine.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is the failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain altitude/clearance, resulting in an in-flight collision with rising terrain.