MYERSVILLE, MD, USA
N1499X
PIPER PA-32-300
DRG A WX BRIEFING BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS ADZD THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RCMDD. WHILE EN ROUTE ON A VFR FLT, THE ACFT CRASHED IN AN AREA WHERE RIDGE TOPS WERE OBSCD BY CLOUDS. A WITNESS, WHO HEARD THE ACFT, RPRTD THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE IT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT BEFORE IT CRASHED. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE VERIFIED THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A STEEP DESCENT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PLT'S LIVER TISSUE WERE POSITIVE FOR NORDIAZEPAM (AT OR ABOVE 0.148 MG/L) & MAPROTILINE AT OR ABOVE 8.6 MG/KG). NORDIAZEPAM IS A TRANQUILIZER & MAPROTILINE IS USED TO TREAT DEPRESSION. THE PLT'S FAMILY RPRTD THAT CENTRAX (PRAZEPAM) & LUDIOMIL (MAPROTILENE HYDROCHLORIDE) HAD BEEN PRESCRIBED TO THE PLT FOR CONTROL OF DEPRESSION.
CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE HILLY/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, AND HIS IMPAIRMENT FROM A PRESCRIPTION DRUG THAT WAS NOT APPROVED FOR USE WHILE FLYING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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