BELLANCA 7GCBC — Watertown, SD

What happened

A witness reported that he initially thought the pilot was inbound for landing. However, the airplane proceeded southwest of the airport and began making erratic banks and turns. He estimated that the airplane’s bank angles reached 80 to 90 degrees at times. Just prior to the accident, the pilot appeared to make a steep turn akin to an agriculture-type operation. He noted that the airplane pitched up, turned to the right, and preceded straight down, impacting the ground. Another witness reported that the airplane was making erratic maneuvers about 300 to 500 feet above ground level. The airplane impacted an open field about 0.5 mile southwest of the airport. A postaccident examination of the engine and airframe did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The toxicology testing report stated that the pilot's blood alcohol level was 144 mg/dL (0.144 percent by weight). A review of the pilot's background revealed two prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol. These were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the pilot's medical certificate application. The FAA subsequently required the pilot to provide court and driving records, in addition to an evaluation by a certified substance abuse specialist in support of his application. The pilot further submitted drug screen results that indicated a negative finding. The FAA subsequently affirmed the pilot's eligibility for a third-class medical certificate and cautioned the pilot that further alcohol related offenses may result in denial of medical certification. Regulations prohibit any person from piloting an aircraft while having a blood alcohol level greater than 0.04 by weight.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.