What happened
Shortly after departing from the airport to the north, the aircraft performed a sudden right-hand turn while maintaining an altitude of approximately 150 feet. An eyewitness, who is also a pilot, noted that the wings appeared to be shimmying, suggesting a possible stall occurred before the plane entered a nose-down bank. The subsequent impact was followed by a significant fire that nearly destroyed the wreckage.
An investigation into the wreckage revealed no mechanical issues or anomalies prior to the impact. While the pilot had constructed the kit-built aircraft roughly six years prior to the event, investigators were unable to review maintenance logs or the pilot's flight history because the relevant documentation could not be recovered. The incident resulted in one fatality.
Findings
Toxicological analysis of the pilot's blood and urine identified the presence of diazepam metabolites. Although diazepam is a central nervous system depressant, the concentration levels indicated that the medication had been ingested between 12 and 24 hours before the flight, meaning the substance was likely not an active impairment during the flight.