The pilot and his passenger died when a Hawker Beechcraft G58 crashed near Credit, Arkansas.
According to flight track data, the airplane departed from Jonesboro Municipal Airport (KJBR) at 9:24 a.m. After departure, it flew southwest, climbed to about 2,300 feet above mean sea level, and started to descend. The flight continued to track southwest until 9:32, when it turned right to the northwest. The flight track data was lost about 9:33, which coincided with the accident.
A witness who departed behind the airplane reported that everything seemed normal with the airplane during its run-up and departure.
Several witnesses reported seeing and hearing the airplane shortly before the accident. One witness who was about a mile from the airport reported the airplane was flying in a southwesterly direction at an altitude of 500 to 800 above ground level (agl). This witness reported the engines did not “sound good” and they were making a “popping” noise as if they were not firing on all cylinders.
A third witness reported seeing the airplane flying parallel to the high-tension powerlines at an altitude of an aerial application airplane. This witness reported it sounded like one engine was operating normally and the other was “sputtering” before both engines quit.
The airplane hit a flat muddy rice field about 16 miles southwest of KJBR. The airplane was destroyed from a post-impact fire.
Toxicology tests performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory on the pilot identified ethanol at a variety of levels in blood samples, but none in liver. N-propanol was also identified in the blood samples, as well as butalbital and temazepam and its psychoactive metabolite oxazepam. All of these are considered potentially impairing.
Benzoylecgonine, an inactive metabolite of cocaine, and acetaminophen were also identified in blood and in liver.
Ethanol is the intoxicant commonly found in beer, wine, and liquor. It acts as a central nervous system depressant. After ingestion, at low doses, it impairs judgment, psychomotor functioning, and vigilance; at higher doses it can cause coma and death. The effects of ethanol on aviators are generally well understood; it significantly impairs pilots’ performance, even at very low levels.
Ethanol may also be produced in the body fluids and tissues after death by microbial activity. N-propanol is another type of alcohol that can be produced in tissues after death.
Butalbital is an intermediate acting barbiturate commonly sold in combination with acetaminophen (an analgesic often marketed with the name Tylenol) and caffeine to treat headaches. It is available as Schedule III controlled substance. Butalbital carries the warning, “Butalbital is habit-forming and potentially abusable. Consequently, the extended use of this product is not recommended.” In addition, the drug information states, “This product may impair mental and/or physical abilities required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks such as driving a car or operating machinery. Such tasks should be avoided while taking this product.”
Temazepam is a sedating benzodiazepine and oxazepam is an active metabolite. Temazepam is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia (7-10 days). Temazepam carries warnings about using it with other central nervous system depressants.
Probable Cause: A loss of left engine power for undetermined reasons, which resulted in an emergency descent with one engine inoperative and inadvertent collision with transmission lines. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inability to respond appropriately to the emergency due to impairment from his previous use of cocaine and multiple other impairing drugs.
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This January 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
That’s one less jackass to have to look out for, I bet he wont have the guts to do that again !!!
One might wonder how many times that pilot got away with flying impaired? Not unlike drunk drivers.
Reminds me of the phrase, “Hey Bud, hold by beer and watch this…”
Well, what can you say? If you can’t say no to booze and drugs might want to sell the Barron.
Ethanol is also in automotive fuels, not because consumers want it, but because the government forces us to use food (cord) to make this terrible so-called fuel.