GENEVA, AL, USA
N3512A
PIPER PA-22-135
PRIOR TO THE ACDNT, A WITNESS SAW THE ACFT FLYING ACROSS AN OPEN FIELD AT A VERY LOW ALT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT COLLIDED WITH THE TOPS OF SEVERAL PINE TREES AT ABOUT 90 TO 95 FT AGL, THEN IT CRASHED TO THE GROUND. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. THE PLT HAD PREVIOUSLY HELD A STUDENT PLT/MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WHICH HAD EXPIRED. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PLT'S BLOOD & URINE WERE MADE AT 2 LABS. ONE LAB RPRTD THE BLOOD CONTAINED 1.6 MG/L OF BUTALBITAL. THE OTHER LAB RPRTD A BUTALBITAL CONTENT OF 3 MG/L AND RPRTD THAT THIS WOULD BE IN THE THERAPEUTIC RANGE. ALSO, SALICYLATE WAS DETECTED IN HIS URINE. BUTALBITAL IS A MEMBER OF THE BARBITURATE GROUP OF MEDICATION & TYPICALLY HAS UNWANTED SIDE EFFECTS OF DROWSINESS & LOSS OF ALERTNESS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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