CONWAY, MA, USA
N2509D
PIPER PA-38-112
THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN CIRCLING THE PILOT'S HOME AT A LOW ALTITUDE. A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR STATED SHE HAD SEEN THE AIRPLANE FLYING AROUND THE PILOT'S HOME 'BARELY ABOVE TREE TOP LEVEL, WITH THE LEFT WING LOWER THAN THE RIGHT WING.' THE PILOT'S FIANCEE STATED THAT SHE HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLY OVER THEIR HOME AND THEN HEARD A 'THUMP.' THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE PILOT'S HOME. NO AIRFRAME OR ENGINE ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. VMC EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS TAKING PRESCRIBED MEDICATION FOR A BIOLOGICALLY BASED DISORDER NAMELY 'PANIC DISORDER.' A TOXICOLOGY TEST OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD DETECTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS, FLUOXETINE AND TEMAZEPAM. THE TEST SHOWED 0.044 UG/ML OF TEMAZEPAM, 0.083 UG/ML OF FLUOXETINE, AND 0.138 UG/ML NORFLUOXETINE IN HIS BOOOD.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TREES. A POSSIBLE FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S USE OF A PRESCRIPTION DRUG.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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