ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45539
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| Date: | Tuesday 4 June 2002 |
| Time: | 08:23 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N942SP |
| MSN: | 172S8137 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1999 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 283 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-L2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lutz, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Tampa Executive Airport, FL (KVDF) |
| Tampa Executive Airport, FL (KVDF) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On June 4, 2002, about 0823 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N942SP, registered to Helicopters & Airplanes, Inc., collided with trees then the ground near Lutz, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal, local flight. The airplane was destroyed by impact and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated about 0709 from Vandenberg Airport, Tampa, Florida.
The pilot had been involved in a helicopter accident that occurred 10 hours 52 minutes before the airplane accident which the helicopter he was flying solo crashed onto the roof of a house. He sustained minor injuries and there were no injuries to the three occupants of the house. The pilot was transported to a hospital where a testing of a blood specimen taken 1 hour 40 minutes after the accident indicates 136 g/dL ethanol detected. Testing of a sample from the same specimen by the FAA Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory (CAMI) indicated 105 mg/dL ethanol in blood, or .105 percent by weight in blood. CAMI also detected acetone (1 mg/dL, mg/hg), acetaldehyde (8 mg/dL, mg/hg), citalopram (0.017 ug/ml,ug/g), and zolpidem (0.433 ug/ml,ug/g) in the blood specimen. The medical records from the hospital indicate a physician note at 2300 hours (approximately 1.5 hours after the accident), indicating slurred speech. A nursing note without a time stamp indicates the pilot admitted to ingesting ethanol "earlier today." The primary diagnosis on the emergency department physician note is, "ethanol intoxication, concussion." The pilot was released from the hospital to his parents at 0235 hours on the 4th of June, and he was transported to his apartment which he shared with a roommate. The roommate reported to the pilot's mother that on the day of the airplane accident, the pilot was watching television at 0630 hours. On the morning of the airplane accident sometime before 0710 hours, the pilot was observed taxiing the airplane to runway 36. Several witnesses reported hearing the pilot abruptly apply power to the engine several times before departing about 0709 hours. After takeoff the flight proceeded in a northwesterly direction and without establishing contact with the Tampa Approach Control or Tampa Air Traffic Control Tower, orbited for approximately 62 minutes while flying at approximately 2,200 feet. During this time an airplane that was inbound to KTPA was vectored by a controller to where the airplane was orbiting in an attempt to identify the airplane to controllers; the pilot reported seeing the pilot in the left side of the airplane. The pilot assisting air traffic control also reported that he believed the orbiting pilot was aware of the close proximity of the two airplane because it appeared to him that the orbiting pilot was maneuvering to avoid him. Attempts to communicate with the pilot on the departure airport CTAF were negative. Additionally, attempts by a flight crew member of a law enforcement helicopter to communicate with the pilot on guard (121.5 MHz) were also unsuccessful. After orbiting for 62 minutes, the airplane departed the orbits flying in a northwesterly direction for 1.6 minutes, then completed a 180 degree turn to the right. The airplane then flew in a southeasterly direction for 36 seconds, turned to the left flying in a northwesterly direction, then completed a right 360 degree descending turn. The airplane continued in a northwesterly direction, where the last primary radar target was noted in close proximity to the accident site. A witness located near the accident site area reported hearing the airplane flying at what she thought was a low altitude then heard the engine "revving" up followed by hearing the impact. Several other witnesses across the street from the crash site reported hearing the engine sound that was steady with no sputtering. The engine sound remained the same from the time they heard it until the impact. Another witness reported that he first observed the airplane when it was approximately 30-40 feet above the tops of trees. The airplane at that time was in a 80-degree nose low attitude on a southeast heading. He observed the airplane collide with the trees then heard the impact. Examination of the accident site revealed damage to trees at decreasing heights. All components necessary to sustain flight were either attached or partially attached to the airplane or were found in close proximity to the main wreckage. Examination of the flight controls for roll, pitch
Probable Cause: The suicidal act by the pilot resulting in the in-flight collision with trees then the ground. A contributing factor in the accident was the pilot's depression. Findings in the investigation were the pilot's overdose of zolpidem and citalopram before the accident flight departed, and his intentional operation of the airplane while impaired by alcohol.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020611X00849&key=1
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Dec-2017 16:46 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Dec-2023 19:00 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, Photo] |
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