Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB WPR11FA046
CESSNA 150J — Tucson, AZ
| Date | November 14, 2010 |
| Location | Tucson, AZ |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 150J |
| Purpose of flight | Instructional |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach-IFR final approach Loss of control in flight |
| Pilot age | 56 |
| Pilot total time | 284 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 9 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Cardiovascular-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
A flight instructor, who was located adjacent to the accident site, reported that the commercial glider pilot was conducting his first solo takeoffs and landings as part of his training to obtain an airplane single-engine add-on rating. The instructor stated that the pilot conducted two uneventful takeoffs and landings and, during the third takeoff and approach to landing, everything looked normal. As the airplane was on short final approach for the runway, the flight instructor observed the airplane pitch downward and descend into terrain near the approach end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the pilot’s medical records revealed that he had longstanding, significant, untreated hypercholesterolemia. An autopsy on the pilot revealed that he had both “severe” coronary atherosclerotic disease and septal hypertrophy; both conditions put him at substantial risk for acute myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Neither event would be detectable by autopsy; however, it is likely that the pilot experienced a medical emergency and was incapacitated during the accident flight, rendering him unable to maintain airplane control.