Undetermined · NTSB ERA14LA084
BEECH A36 — Fryeburg, ME
| Date | January 1, 2014 |
| Location | Fryeburg, ME |
| Aircraft | BEECH A36 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Taxi-to runway Miscellaneous/other |
| Pilot age | 75 |
| Pilot total time | 3,940 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 3,000 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Cardiovascular-Pilot - C
What happened
The pilot's son reported that he saw his father's airplane initiate a slow taxi for departure, drift right off the taxiway, and then come to rest next to a snow bank. The pilot's son found the pilot slumped over the control yoke, and he was subsequently transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The pilot reported no significant medical history on his medical certificate application, and no health issues were identified during his most recent physical examination. However, the pilot's wife reported that the pilot had a history of heart disease. An autopsy revealed severe coronary artery atherosclerosis, an enlarged heart, and evidence of hypertensive heart disease, and the autopsy report stated that the cause of death was "severe coronary artery atherosclerosis."