POMPANO BEACH, FL, USA
N24PW
PARKER WARREN WHITTMAN FORMULA VEE
DURING CROSSWIND TURN AFTER TAKEOFF A RADIO CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT IN WHICH THE PILOT IN A STRAINED VOICE CALLED PART OF THE REG. NUMBER AND THEN CEASED TRANSMITTING ABRUPTLY. WITNESSES SAW RUDDER GO FULL LEFT AT THIS TIME AND ENG. INCREASE AND DECREASE IN POWER. ACFT THEN ENTERED DESCENDING LEFT TURN WITH ACFT PITCH 45 DEGREES NOSE LOW. WINGS AND PITCH LEVELED AND ENGINE POWER INCREASED AS ACFT IMPACTED GROUND FLAT. POST CRASH EXAM. OF ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE IN STRUCTURE, FLT. CONTROLS, AND ENG. POST MORTEM EXAM REVEALED PLT HAD SEVERE HEART DISEASE AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINER STATED PLT MOST LIKELY SUFFERED VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION WHICH WOULD ALLOW ONLY 10 SECONDS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER ATTACK. PLT HAD BEEN TREATED FOR HYPERTENSION AND ANGINA FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND DID NOT DECLARE THIS ON FAA MEDICAL APPLICATION. POST MORTEM TOX. TESTING INDICATED PLT WAS NOT TAKING HYPERTENSION MEDICATION PRESCRIBED BY DOCTOR.
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO INCAPACITATION RESULTING FROM UNDERLYING SEVERE HEART DISEASE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S NOT REPORTING THE HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION AND HEART PROBLEMS DURING HIS FAA MEDICAL EXAMINATION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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