ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 24781
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| Date: | Friday 16 August 2002 |
| Time: | 11:35 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N680HP |
| MSN: | 31-8052205 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4493 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Sanderson, West Virginia -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Charleston, SC (CHS) |
| Charleston, WV (CRW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot completed a flight without incident, and seemed in good sprits before departing, by himself, on the return flight. The second flight also progressed without a incident until cleared from 8,000 feet msl to 5,000 feet msl, which the pilot acknowledged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and radar data depicted the airplane initiate and maintain a 500-foot per-minute descent until radar contact was lost at approximately 400 feet agl. The pilot made no mention of difficulties while en route or during the descent. The airplane impacted trees at the top of a ridge in an approximate level attitude, and came to rest approximately 1,450 feet beyond, at the bottom of a ravine. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions. The pilot had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease (a chronic recurrent gastrointestinal disease, with no clear surgical cure) for approximately 35 years, which required him to undergo several surgeries more than 20 years before the accident. The pilot received a letter from the FAA on June 11, 1998, stating he was eligible for a first-class medical certificate. In the letter there was no requirement for a follow up gastroenterological review, but the pilot was reminded he was prohibited from operating an aircraft if new symptoms or adverse changes occurred, or anytime medication was required. His condition seemed to be stable until approximately 5 months prior to the accident. During this time frame, he experienced weight loss and blood loss, was prescribed several different medications to include intravenous meperidine, received 3 units of blood, and had a peripherally inserted central catheter placed. On the pilot's airmen medical application dated the month prior to the accident, the pilot reported he did not currently use any medications, and did not note any changes to his health. A toxicological test conducted after the accident identified meperidine in the pilot's tissue.
Probable Cause: Physiological impairment or incapacitation likely related to the pilot's recent exacerbation of Crohn's disease. A factor in the accident was the pilot's decision to conduct the flight in his current medical condition.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020905X01532&key=1
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=680HP
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 27 December 2016 | N3582X | Airpac Airlines Inc | 0 | Felts Field Airport (KSFF), Spokane, WA | |
min |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 04-Jun-2015 05:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 17-Oct-2017 13:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Dec-2017 17:17 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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