Incident Description
A mechanic employed at a manufacturer's facility, who was not a pilot, took off in an aircraft. Witnesses observed the aircraft enter a very steep climb, after which it appeared to stall. The nose was then lowered, and the aircraft turned left, entering a downwind leg for runway 01R. It subsequently turned onto a low base leg and continued to a very low final approach. The aircraft experienced several oscillations in roll before touching down 557 feet short of the runway and colliding with approach light stanchions. The mechanic was under psychiatric care for schizophrenia at the time of the accident.
Probable Cause Findings
The official investigation identified two occurrences with associated findings. Occurrence #1: loss of control in flight, with findings of improper aircraft handling by an unqualified person and intentional unauthorized use of the aircraft. Occurrence #2: in-flight collision with an object during landing flare/touchdown, with the object identified as approach light/navaid.