Accident Overview
The accident occurred as the pilot was returning to his home airport during dark night conditions. He transmitted that he was five miles from the airport and adjusted the airport lighting several times. No further radio calls were made, although the pilot's customary practice was to report his position multiple times while entering the landing pattern.
The airplane approached the airport from the southeast in a descent, overshot the field, and then adjusted its course slightly to the left. A witness reported seeing the aircraft enter a left turn, followed by a nose-down pitch and a steep-angle descent. The airplane struck the terrain in a steep left bank and cartwheeled.
Post-accident examination of the airframe, airplane systems, and engine revealed no pre-impact anomalies. Flight control continuity was confirmed.
Pilot Background and Toxicology
The pilot had flown eight hours and 30 minutes on the day of the accident and had crossed two time zones. He had been awake for at least 17 hours at the time of the accident, which occurred after midnight in his departure time zone.
Toxicology testing found doxylamine and amphetamine in the pilot's tissues. The pilot had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) approximately five years before the accident and had taken prescription amphetamines for that condition since diagnosis. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not medically certify pilots who require medication for the control of ADHD. At the time of the accident, the pilot's blood level of amphetamines may have been falling, and he may have been increasingly fatigued and distracted. The presence of doxylamine, an over-the-counter antihistamine often used as a sleep aid, could suggest the pilot was having difficulty sleeping.