Farland GENESIS N9274S

Summary

On 24 June 1996 at about 15:30 local time, a Farland GENESIS registered N9274S was involved in an accident near Le Sueur, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 June 1996 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Le Sueur, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.4604, -93.8995

Aircraft

Farland GENESIS

Registration

N9274S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96LA210

1 person died.

the pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to drugs, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's limited aeronautical experience and limited experience in the make and model of the accident airplane, which likely had different flying characteristics from the airplane in which he trained.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness reported the student pilot did a thorough preflight inspection and that the engine sounded good during run-up. The airplane climbed to about 100 feet AGL after takeoff and made a 180 degree turn. It then veered to the right and gradually lost altitude to 60 feet. The airplane suddenly nosed over and impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed that the flight controls and engine exhibited continuity. Damage indicated the airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude. A toxicology test of the pilot's blood showed 0.493 mcg/ml Chlorpheniramine, and 0.324 mcg/ml Diphenhydramine. Chlorpheniramine and Diphenhydramine are antihistamines, which can result in drowsiness; the quantities found were many times the therapeutic levels. Also, an unspecified level of Diazepam (generic name for Valium) was detected in the pilot's blood and liver fluid. None of these drugs were approved for use while operating an aircraft. The student pilot had only about three hours of flight time in the make and model of airplane, and he had not been endorsed by a flight instructor to fly the airplane. The pilot had a history of obstructive sleep apnea, which was under evaluation. A witness reported the pilot had complained of a splitting headache on the night before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.