The pilot and the passenger departed on a cross-country, personal flight in the Beech 300 that was purchased the day before the accident.
Shortly after takeoff, after reaching an altitude of about 100′ to 150′ above the runway at the airport in Tucson, Arizona, in a nose-high pitch attitude, the plane rolled left to an inverted position as its nose dropped, and it descended, crashing on airport property, consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Both the pilot and passenger died in the crash.
Post-accident examination of the accident site revealed propeller strike marks separated at distances consistent with both propellers rotating at the speed required for takeoff and in a normal blade angle range of operation at impact.
Both engines exhibited rotational scoring signatures that indicated the engines were producing symmetrical power and were most likely operating in the mid-to upper-power range at impact.
The engines did not display any pre-impact anomalies or distress that would have precluded normal engine operation before impact. No evidence was found of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Toxicology testing revealed the pilot’s use of multiple psychoactive substances including marijuana, venlafaxine, amphetamine, pseudoephedrine, clonazepam, and pheniramine. The wide variety of psychoactive effects of these medications precludes predicting the specific effects of their use in combination. However, it is likely the pilot was impaired by the effects of the combination of psychoactive substances he was using and that those effects contributed to his loss of control.
The investigation was unable to obtain medical records regarding any underlying neuropsychiatric disease, therefore, whether these may have contributed to the accident circumstances could not be determined.
Probable cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment by the effects of a combination of psychoactive substances.
NTSB Identification: WPR17FA057
This January 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Don’t fly high.
I just got through reading where insurance company’s are showing prejudice towards pilots over the age of 70 years old, saying they make mistakes others don’t ??? What ??? are you kidding me??? What do you call this kind of fatal crash ?? Bottom line, “age” doesn’t have anything to do with causing crash’es !!! Decision making does !!! Just like the FAA use to retire airline pilots at the age of 60 years old, then they found out they were 100% wrong!! So they have extended it to 65 years old to retire. Same thing with older pilots, You can’t compare older pilots with younger pilots, no contest, yet the Insurance company’s insist on this, so I say, all I need is liability ins. I have always bought total coverage type of ins. on all my planes, just saying after reading that about insurance co.s. Something else to mess with the pilots mind, first it was the FAA, then the mechanic’s, now the insurance company’s, it never quits…
Astounding pot and meth heads have pilot’s licenses. So much for med checks.
Party on, Wayne.