Incident Overview
On a Sunday evening, a pilot who had been charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor met with a friend in his car. The pilot was drinking beer during the meeting. The friend reported that the pilot made comments about intentionally crashing the aircraft, stating "he didn't want to die, but didn't know of any other way." The pilot also had a gun in the car and told the friend not to call the police or he would kill himself sooner.
Flight and Collision
The pilot departed Twin Falls at approximately 2230 that Sunday night in a Piper PA-46. He flew to Boise, Idaho, via Ely, Nevada, before turning back toward Twin Falls. After passing over Boise, intermittent radio contact was established with approach control. Radar vectors and a descent were issued. Radar contact was lost during the descent, and the pilot announced descending through 11,000 feet. Thirty-eight seconds later, he reported at 6,000 feet. The aircraft impacted ground at an elevation of 4,650 feet.
Toxicology and Findings
Toxicology tests of the pilot's lung and muscle tissue showed alcohol levels of 175 mg/dL (0.175%) and 117 mg/dL (0.117%), respectively. No preimpact failure of the aircraft was found.