Center Charles C X-5 N25761

Summary

On 4 April 2010 at about 17:37 local time, a Center Charles C X-5 registered N25761 was involved in an accident near Ghent, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 April 2010 at 17:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Ghent, New York, United States

Coordinates

42.3303, -73.6553

Aircraft

Center Charles C X-5

Registration

N25761

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ghent → Pittsfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA206

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.