Incident Overview
On the night of the accident, a private pilot stole an aircraft owned by a construction company and registered under Vancon Holdings LLC (VanCon Inc.) from Spanish Fork-Springville Airport. After takeoff, the pilot flew southbound to Payson, reduced altitude, and voluntarily crashed the plane onto his house located in Payson. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The pilot was killed. His wife and daughter, who were in the house at the time of the accident, were uninjured despite the house also being destroyed by fire. Local Police declared that the pilot intentionally flew the airplane into his own home hours after being booked for domestic assault charges.
Investigation Findings
An examination of the airplane found no anomalies with the flight controls that would have contributed to the accident. Toxicology testing revealed the presence of a medication used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some eating disorders, and panic attacks; the pilot did not report the use of this medication to the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot had a known history of depression, anxiety, and anger management issues. The circumstances of the accident were consistent with the pilot's intentional flight into his home.
Official Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident, as stated in the official findings, was the pilot's intentional flight into his residence.