WPR22FA345

The student pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation, a loss of control, exceedance of the airplane’s design limitations, and in-flight breakup.

The student pilot was enroute at an altitude about 17,700 ft mean sea level (msl) on a cross-country flight with a passenger in his high-performance airplane. The pilot was receiving visual flight rules flight following services from air traffic control, who advised him of an area of moderate to heavy precipitation at the airplane’s 12 o’clock position. The pilot replied that he had been able to “dodge” the areas of precipitation, but that they were getting bigger. There were no further communications from the pilot. Shortly thereafter, the airplane entered a left turn that continued through 180° before the airplane began a descent from its cruise altitude. The flight track ended in an area of moderate to extreme reflectivity as depicted on weather radar and indicated that the airplane was in a rapidly descending right turn at 13,900 ft when tracking information was lost. The wreckage was scattered across a debris field about 2 miles long. Examination of the wreckage revealed lateral crushing along the left side of the fuselage and the separation of both wings and the empennage. Wing spar signatures and empennage and wing impact marks suggested positive wing loading before the wing separation and in-flight breakup. The area of the accident site was included in a Convective SIGMET advisory for thunderstorms, hail, and wind gusts of up to 50 kts. A model atmospheric sounding near the accident site indicated clouds between about 15,000 ft and 27,000 ft, as well as the potential for light rime icing from 15,500 ft to 23,000 ft. Review of the pilot’s logbook revealed that he had about 47 total hours of flight experience, with about 4 hours of instruction in simulated instrument conditions. A previous flight instructor reported that the pilot displayed attitudes of “anti-authority” and “impulsivity.” Ethanol was detected in two postmortem tissue specimens; however, based on the distribution and amount detected, the ethanol may have been from postmortem production, and it is unlikely to have contributed to the crash. Fluoxetine, trazodone, and phentermine were also detected in the pilot’s postmortem toxicology specimens. The pilot had reported his use of fluoxetine for anger and irritability. Anger and irritability are nonspecific symptoms that may or may not be associated with mental health conditions, including depression, certain personality disorders, and bipolar disorder. These conditions may be associated with impulsive behavior, increased risk taking, lack of planning, not appreciating consequences of actions, and substance use disorders. Both trazodone and phentermine have the potential for impairing effects; however, an unimpaired pilot with the pilot’s relative inexperience would have been likely to lose aircraft control during an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). It is therefore unlikely that the pilot’s use of trazodone and phentermine affected his handling of the airplane in a way that contributed to the crash. Based on review of the pilot’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification file, no specific conclusion can be drawn regarding any underlying psychiatric condition that may have contributed to his decision to attempt and continue the flight into IMC, as that decision was consistent with his previous pattern of risk-tolerant behavior. The pilot had not formally been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in his personal medical records reviewed other than substance use disorders. The psychological and psychiatric evaluations reviewed were not for diagnostic and treatment purposes, but for evaluation for FAA medical certification, and therefore did not generate diagnoses. There is evidence that the pilot had a pattern of poor decision-making, high-risk tolerance, and impulsive behavior. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the student pilot’s decision to continue into an area of deteriorating weather conditions, his encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and convective activity, and loss of visual references, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of aircraft control. During the descent, the airplane exceeded its design limitations, resulting in structural failure and an in-flight breakup.

Review of the pilot’s logbook indicated that, since December 2020, the pilot accumulated a total of 47 hours of flight experience, with 12.5 hours recorded in the accident airplane. The logbook indicated that the pilot had received a total of 4 hours of training in simulated instrument conditions. In an interview with an FAA inspector, the pilot’s flight instructor stated that he provided the accident pilot with about 20 hours of instruction in the pilot’s Cessna 182. The instructor stopped working with the pilot when the pilot was unable to obtain a medical certificate. The instructor’s last flight with the pilot was in the accident airplane about 2 months before the pilot purchased the airplane. The instructor stated that the pilot seemed to fly well but described him as “anti-authority” and “impulsive” and stated that the pilot tended to fly fast with higher than normal power settings. The instructor further stated that the pilot continued to fly with an unknown commercial pilot after they stopped flying together. During that time, the pilot was rumored to fly solo in his Cessna 182. The pilot’s most recent application for a medical certificate was deferred. In a subsequent evaluation by a Human Intervention Motivational Study (HIMS) aviation medical examiner, the pilot reported a history of alcohol and drug use. The pilot also reported that he was taking fluoxetine for anger and irritability. The pilot was issued a final denial letter by the Federal Aviation Administration on September 1, 2022, which stated that he was not eligible for medical certification or for further reconsideration. The six-seat, low-wing, retractable landing gear airplane with cabin pressurization capability was manufactured in 1984. The airplane was powered by a Continental Motors TSIO-520BE engine, rated at 310 horsepower. The engine drove a two blade, metal, constant speed propeller. Each propeller blade was equipped with an electric deice boot. Airplane documentation and maintenance logbooks were not available for review. An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Coconino County Health and Human Services Medical Examiner’s Office, Flagstaff, Arizona, which listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, and manner of death as accident. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing of postmortem vitreous fluid and liver, lung, and muscle tissue. Ethanol was detected in lung tissue at 0.034 g/hg and in muscle tissue at 0.026 g/hg. Ethanol was not detected in vitreous fluid or liver tissue. Fluoxetine and norfluoxetine were detected in liver and muscle tissue. Trazodone was detected in liver tissue at 993 ng/g and muscle at 118 ng/g. Phentermine was detected in liver tissue at 2503 ng/g and muscle at 273 ng/g. Dextromethorphan, loratadine, and desloratadine were detected in liver and muscle tissue. No blood was available for testing. Fluoxetine is a prescription medication commonly used to treat major depressive disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and bulimia. Fluoxetine is the only antidepressant medication with an indication to treat bipolar disorder as a single medication. Fluoxetine generally carries a warning that it may impair judgement, thinking, and motor skills, and that caution should be used when operating heavy machinery until the person using the medication is certain the drug does not adversely affect them. Trazodone is a prescription antidepressant medication that may be used to treat major depression and is also commonly used to treat insomnia. It typically carries a warning that it can slow thinking and motor skills, and that users should not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until they know how the drug affects them. Phentermine is an amphetamine derivative used as a short-term adjunct with diet modification and exercise to increase weight loss. Phentermine generally carries a warning that use may impair the ability to operate a motor vehicle or operate heavy machinery. Phentermine also carries a warning regarding the risk of abuse as it is a stimulant, and its use may also contribute to insomnia due to its stimulant effects. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant found in numerous over-the-counter cough syrups and cold medications. Dextromethorphan is not typically impairing at levels associated with medicinal use. Loratadine is a second-generation antihistamine available over the counter. It is commonly available in combination medications to treat allergy and cold symptoms. Loratadine is not generally considered impairing. Desloratadine is a metabolite of loratadine. The accident site comprised a debris field spread about 2 miles across desert terrain. The left flap and rudder were not located during the recovery efforts. Examination of the recovered wreckage revealed lateral crushing along the length of the left side of the fuselage and the separation of both wings and the empennage. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuselage was crushed laterally along the left side of the fuselage, reducing the width of the cabin area to about half. The engine remained attached to the fuselage and exhibited impact damage to the left side. The propeller assembly separated from the engine crankshaft propeller flange. The propeller blades remained attached to the hub and did not exhibit evidence of rotation at the time of impact. The spinner was crushed on one side. The main cabin door remained attached to the fuselage and the nose baggage door separated. The occupied seats and instrument panel were crushed. Examination of the instruments revealed no nonvolatile memory, and switch positions could not be determined. The fuselage upper exterior surface revealed black rubber transfer marks. Control cable continuity was established from near the cabin area to the control surfaces, through overload separations of the aileron control cables. Damage and compression of the fuselage structure precluded continuity determination within the cabin. The left wing separated at the wing root area. The left wing spar inboard section was visible and remained attached to the main wreckage. The spar end revealed separation signatures consistent with positive wing loading. The fracture surfaces exhibited angled, dull, grainy appearances consistent with overstress separation. The inboard upper spar cap was deformed upwards near the separation. The separated outboard left wing was recovered in two large sections and separated near wing station (WS) 135. The inboard section of the wing displayed trailing edge damage; the flap was not attached. The main landing gear remained attached to the inboard section. The aileron remained attached to the outboard wing section; the tip was impact damaged. The upper wing skin was damaged and curled outboard from the separation. The fracture surfaces between the two outboard left-wing sections exhibited angled, dull, grainy appearances consistent with an overstress separation or positive wing loading. The left aileron cables remained attached to their respective components and were separated near the wing root with the ends exhibiting a splayed, broomstraw appearance consistent with tension overload. The lower surface of the left aileron displayed an imprint about 20 inches from the inboard end consistent in appearance with button head rivets spaced about 1 inch apart. The right wing separated near WS 86, leaving about 4 ft of the wing attached to the fuselage. Both the main and the aft wing spars were deformed upwards at the fracture location consistent with positive wing loading. The fracture surfaces were consistent with overstress separation. The wing displayed leading edge damage near WS 156. The right aileron was separated from the wing and was impact damaged. The aileron cables remained attached to t