Pilot Debrief

Junior Ace near Mammoth Springs, AR — 2023-04-13

Final reportCEN23FA155
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Date
2023-04-13
Location
Mammoth Springs, AR, USA
Aircraft
Junior Ace
Registration
N5545
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s intentional flight into terrain as an act of suicide.

NTSB narrative

The airplane, which was owned by the pilot, took off from a private airstrip and flew to a rock quarry. Witnesses saw the airplane circle around the quarry several times. One witness saw the airplane fly directly into the quarry and collide with a rock wall. The wreckage was located directly below and adjacent to a 75-ft rock wall. The damage to the wreckage was consistent with a high-energy impact. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation. Postmortem toxicological testing detected ethanol at 0.048 g/dl, along with n-propanol, in the blood cavity. Neither ethanol nor n-propanol was detected in vitreous fluid. Detection of n-propanol in a postmortem specimen is potentially indicative of postmortem microbial activity in the specimen but does not necessarily mean that microbial activity produced ethanol. These findings suggest that the ethanol detected was likely from postmortem production, not alcohol consumption. Following a death investigation, local law enforcement and the local the coroner classified the manner of death as a suicide.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen not to dive into the quarry during the final pass.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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