Pilot Debrief

LUSCOMBE 8F near Comstock, TX — 2021-07-18

Final reportCEN21FA327
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Date
2021-07-18
Location
Comstock, TX, USA
Aircraft
LUSCOMBE 8F
Registration
N2054B
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

Impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a personal flight, and the wreckage was located about 20 nautical miles from the departure airport by the property owner. There were no witnesses to the accident. Recorded data showed that, after maneuvering over the area of the accident site for about 6 minutes, the airplane entered a near-vertical descent. The airplane impacted terrain and was destroyed. The wreckage was consistent with a wings-level, near-vertical impact. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing of the pilot identified ethanol. The large discrepancy among the ethanol levels in muscle, heart, and liver indicates that at least some of the detected ethanol was likely from sources other than consumption. Notably, the severity of injury made postmortem microbial ethanol production more likely, and the detectable n-propanol and n-butanol in muscle and heart indicate likely postmortem microbial activity in these tissues (although such activity does not always produce ethanol). Although at least some of the detected ethanol was likely from sources other than consumption, the available ethanol results are insufficient to exclude the possibility that consumed ethanol may have exerted impairing effects on the pilot, particularly given that diphenhydramine was also detected. Like ethanol, diphenhydramine may exert impairing sedative effects, and such effects may combine with those of ethanol. There is insufficient medical and operational evidence to determine whether ethanol or diphenhydramine caused impairment that contributed to the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided flying under the influence of alcohol and sedatives.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents12

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