Piper PA-24 accident near Independence, California, August 16, 2000

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The airplane collided with terrain on the downwind leg as it approached a point abeam the runway threshold. Auxiliary lighting had recently been installed in the glareshield. This did not provide adequate lighting, so the pilot clipped two flashlights onto the glareshield, used two additional handheld flashlights to illuminate the instrument panel, and continued the flight. The airplane maintained a gradual descent as it flew south of the airport, then completed a left turn to the north on the downwind leg. It continued to descend until it collided with the terrain. The pilot, at some time in the past, had significant surgery on at least one of his eyes, including a corneal transplant. Such surgery can result in complications that substantially impair vision. The lighting level in the cockpit, with the additional lighting from the flashlights, would have essentially prohibited any dark-adaptation of the pilot's vision, and interfered with him seeing anything clearly outside the airplane. Analysis of specimens for the pilot was positive for the following drugs: Benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester (inactive metabolites of cocaine), cocaine, Temazepam, Oxazepam, and acetaminophen. The pilot was likely impaired by the effects of cocaine withdrawal, and possibly by the use of a prescription sleeping aid. The use of a medication for control of pain/fever symptoms implies that such symptoms were significant. Distraction, sensory disturbance, or impaired judgment as a result of illness could have conceivably played some role in this accident. It is also possible, but less likely, that the pilot had an acute event that resulted in incapacitation (fainting or seizure, for example) as a result of his drug use. The pilot and passenger were both thrown forward and to the right by the impact. The lack of shoulder restraint concentrated deceleration forces on the lap belt resulting in separation of the floor to which the seat belt attached. The damage, deformation, and fractures were typical of a single overload event, and indicate substantial forward rotation of the attachment point during the separation process. This and centrifugal force allowed the pilot to strike the instrument console to his right.

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.