Zavalla, TX, USA
N315AM
Piper PA32R
The noncertificated pilot made a night flight to an unlit airstrip. Upon arrival, with a low overcast ceiling, the pilot circled the airstrip for the next 54 minutes at altitudes ranging from about 300 to 1,350 ft above ground level. During the approach attempts, the pilot descended below the cloud layer, executed a go around, and maneuvered for another approach. On the pilot’s final approach attempt, the airplane impacted a tree line prior to the runway threshold on a heading perpendicular to the runway. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing showed the pilot had methamphetamine, amphetamine, and THC (the primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis) in his system. The pilot’s methamphetamine levels did not indicate if he was experiencing drug effects, and the investigation was not able to determine if the pilot had an underlying condition being treated with amphetamine or methamphetamine. It was not determined if the pilot was under impairment from THC. According to a family member, the pilot normally flew to the unlit airstrip at night and descended in a circular pattern until he visually identified the runway. Although the pilot’s substance use had significant potential to cause impairment, the investigation determined the pilot’s aircraft handling was not deficient relative to his limited experience of flying in night instrument conditions and the prolonged period of approach attempts. The pilot’s decision to continue the night approaches during instrument conditions was consistent with a pattern of poor decision-making and risk-taking behavior.
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 27, 2020, about 0153 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R airplane, N315AM, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at a private airstrip near Zavalla, Texas. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to air traffic control information, the airplane departed David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH), Spring, Texas, at 0023 and arrived overhead the airstrip at 0059. During the next 54 minutes, the airplane maneuvered near the airstrip between 350 and 1,300 ft above ground level (agl), with a groundspeed ranging from 65 to 143 knots. The airplane was last recorded near the approach end of the southwesterly runway at 350 ft agl and 94 knots ground speed. Figure 1. Flight Path of Airplane at the Airstrip PERSONNEL INFORMATIONAccording to a flight instructor, the pilot purchased the airplane and began flying in 2016. The pilot discontinued training with the flight instructor in 2018 and never attempted to obtain a pilot certificate. The flight instructor stated he had not given the pilot any instrument flight training. According to the pilot’s wife, the pilot normally flew to the unlit airstrip at night and descended in a circular pattern until he visually identified the runway. The pilot had purchased runway edge lights for the airstrip but had not yet installed the lights at the time of the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airframe logbook recovered from debris field showed the last annual inspection occurred on September 28, 2017, and the last maintenance entry was recorded on March 22, 2018. The airplane’s registration was expired at the time of the accident. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAn Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET) advisory valid at the accident location described instrument conditions due to precipitation and mist. No record existed that the pilot received weather information before or during the accident flight. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe airframe logbook recovered from debris field showed the last annual inspection occurred on September 28, 2017, and the last maintenance entry was recorded on March 22, 2018. The airplane’s registration was expired at the time of the accident. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane impacted trees 670 ft north of the southwest oriented runway threshold and came to rest 375 ft southeast of the initial impact. A post-crash fire ensued. Figure 2. Airstrip and Debris Information Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on specimens from the pilot. Methamphetamine was identified at 2,112 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) in liver tissue and 2,654 ng/mL in urine. Amphetamine (a metabolite of methamphetamine) was identified at 642 ng/mL in liver; urine testing for amphetamine was inconclusive. Delta-9-THC was identified at 6.4 ng/mL in liver and was not detected in urine. 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC (a metabolite of delta-9-THC) was detected at 8.5 ng/mL in liver and was not detected in urine. Carboxy-delta-9-THC (another metabolite of delta-9-THC) was detected at 510 ng/mL in liver and 31 ng/mL in urine. Phenylpropanolamine was detected in urine and liver. Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug. Amphetamine is a metabolite of methamphetamine and is also a central nervous system stimulant. Both methamphetamine and amphetamine are available as prescription drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy, and occasionally obesity; each may also be a metabolite of certain other medications. Methamphetamine and amphetamine are Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule II controlled substances with a high potential for abuse and dependence. At low doses used as part of appropriate medical treatment, the drugs may improve reaction time, cognitive function, and fatigue, but may cause people to make higher-risk choices. At higher doses, the drugs may have a variety of impairing effects on psychomotor function, cognition, and perception. The drugs typically carry warnings that they may impair the ability to engage in potentially hazardous activities such as driving a motor vehicle. Such impairment can result from drug or withdrawal effects. Both methamphetamine and amphetamine are considered “do not issue/do not fly” medications by the FAA. Delta-9-THC (commonly known as THC) is the primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis and hashish, derived from the cannabis plant. Psychoactive effects of THC vary depending on the user, dose, and route of administration. THC can impair motor coordination, reaction time, decision making, problem solving, and vigilance. It is a DEA controlled substance with potential for abuse and dependence, and the FAA considers it unsuitable for flying, regardless of state cannabis laws. Phenylpropanolamine is a chemical that can be used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. It was previously available in the United States as a nasal decongestant and weight loss ingredient in multiple over the counter and prescription products. In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration requested that all drug companies discontinue marketing products with phenylpropanolamine due to evidence of increased (although still very low) risk of brain bleeding.
The non-certificated pilot’s poor decision-making as he attempted to land at an unlit airstrip in night instrument conditions, which resulted in the airplane’s collision with terrain short of the runway.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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