CENTER CHARLES C X-5 — Ghent, NY

What happened

Following two uneventful flights, the pilot and passenger took off; witnesses described a takeoff and initial climb sequence that was consistent with a loss of lift due to an aerodynamic stall before the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude and caught fire. The witnesses also described smooth and continuous engine operation to ground impact. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were discovered during a postaccident examination of the wreckage.

Postmortem toxicological testing of the pilot was positive for ethanol, a prescription opioid narcotic known to impair the mental and/or physical abilities required for the performance of hazardous tasks, and a prescription antidepressant. While some of the ethanol detected in the testing may have been produced postmortem, the measured serotonin metabolite ratio implied alcohol consumption by the pilot in the 16 hours prior to the accident flight. Given the pilot's long-term, chronic narcotic use, he may have developed some tolerance to the sedating, mental, and physical effects associated with the detected quantity of the drug. Although the investigation was unable to determine the degree of the pilot’s impairment, since the concentrations of the prescription opioid narcotic detected were well above a normal therapeutic range, it is likely that the pilot was impaired.

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