What happened
A private flight departed from Dubois, Pennsylvania, with the intention of reaching Roanoke, Virginia. During the transit, the aircraft experienced a failure in one of its engines. In response to the mechanical issue, the pilot lowered the altitude and sought to perform an emergency landing in the vicinity of Mahaffey. However, during this maneuver, the aircraft became uncontrollable and struck an open field.
The crash resulted in two fatalities, involving both the pilot and the passenger.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical contributing factors. The primary mechanical cause was a powerplant failure for reasons that remained undetermined. Additionally, evidence indicated that the passenger had suffered a severe heart attack prior to the impact.
Furthermore, the pilot was found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, with a recorded blood alcohol level of 1.7 ‰. This impairment significantly affected the pilot's judgment and physical ability to maintain the necessary airspeed for flight.