Golden Circle Air T-Bird — Grosse Ile, MI

What happened

A witness saw the noncertificated pilot take off downwind on a taxiway; once airborne, the airplane drifted to the right, struck a taxiway marker light, then continued its departure to the south. Strong gusting wind conditions out of the northwest had been reported throughout the day. About 40 minutes later, another witness located about 2 miles north of the airport saw the airplane flying southbound about 300 and 400 ft above ground level (agl). A third witness located near the accident site about 1/2 mile south of the airport saw the airplane flying about 200 to 300 ft agl over a residential area; this witness reported that it appeared the pilot was having difficulty gaining altitude and maintaining a stable attitude due to the gusting wind conditions. Subsequently, the airplane struck a tree in a residential neighborhood and impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest inverted beneath the tree, and both wings and the fuselage were crushed aft.

Postaccident examination revealed that the pilot's control stick was dislodged from the socket that connected it to the control system. The retaining bolt that should have held the stick in the socket was missing. The bolt holes showed no signs of deformation or stress, indicating that the bolt was not installed when the airplane impacted the ground. Given that the witness observations were consistent with the pilot having control of the airplane before impact with the tree, it is unlikely that the control stick separated in flight, rather, it is likely the control stick was dislodged during the impact sequence. There were no other mechanical anomalies found with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations.

The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate, and no evidence was found that he had received any formal flight training. According to a family member, this was likely the pilot’s second or third flight in the airplane.

Postmortem toxicology testing detected the stimulant amphetamine at blood concentrations associated with abuse, the impairing anti-anxiety medication diazepam and its metabolites within therapeutic range, and the antidepressant citalopram at subtherapeutic levels. These medications and the associated medical conditions for which they are prescribed can negatively impact judgment and psychomotor performance. The pilot, however, was very inexperienced and did not appear to have the skills to safely operate the airplane, especially considering the gusting wind conditions. Given his lack of skills and experience, it is difficult to determine what role, if any, his medication use or medical conditions had on his inability to safely fly the airplane. Thus, this investigation was unable to determine whether the effects of the pilot’s use of amphetamine, diazepam, and citalopram were factors in this accident.

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