Beechcraft P35 N1521S

Summary

On 27 February 2010 at about 21:25 local time, a Beechcraft P35 registered N1521S was involved in an accident near Edgewater, Maryland, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 February 2010 at 21:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Edgewater, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Lee (ANP)

Coordinates

38.9425, -76.5561

Aircraft

Beechcraft P35

Registration

N1521S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Annapolis → Annapolis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10FA154

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while on approach, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's likely impairment due to back pain, symptoms of opiate withdrawal, or both.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was on final approach to land about 300 feet above the ground, when it stalled, banked right, and descended into trees about 1/2 mile from the approach end of the runway. A postcrash fire destroyed the cockpit and consumed a majority of the airframe. The engine separated and was located in a creek, about 100 feet east of the main wreckage. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions. It was noted that while witnesses reported they observed the airplane's landing gear and flaps extended during the beginning of the accident sequence, postaccident observations were consistent with the landing gear and flaps in the retracted position. The pilot had a history consistent with alcohol and prescription drug dependence, and had at least once previously failed rehabilitation treatment. He had been experiencing worsening back pain, and had undergone surgery about 6 weeks prior to the accident, with continuing pain after the surgery. He had been using prescription narcotic medications from multiple different providers for over a year prior to the accident, most recently filling a large prescription for prescription narcotic medications 3 days prior to the accident. Postmortem toxicology testing was consistent with recent use of a prescription anti-depressant, also used to treat nicotine dependence that can increase the likelihood of seizure activity, though that risk remains low. Toxicology testing also was consistent with the relatively recent use of a prescription narcotic medication, but the lack of such medication in the pilot's blood suggests the possibility that the pilot may have been experiencing the effects of opiate withdrawal, which can include agitation, anxiety, nausea, and abdominal cramping, among other symptoms. The pilot may also have been distracted by back pain. The FAA failed to identify the pilot's substance dependence, in spite of substantial differences in his and police reports regarding a Driving Under the Influence charge in 2005, and publicly available records that documented his misuse of prescription medications.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.