Reviere VANS RV6A N747ES

Summary

On 18 August 2002 at about 13:36 local time, a Reviere VANS RV6A registered N747ES was involved in an accident near Tampa, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 August 2002 at 13:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Tampa, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Peter O'knight (TPF)

Coordinates

27.9156, -82.4492

Aircraft

Reviere VANS RV6A

Registration

N747ES

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02LA153

2 people died.

the failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin, while maneuvering, and subsequent impact with a concrete wall. A factor in this accident was the impairment of the pilot in command due to the use of prescription drugs.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses watched the flight depart, and about one mile from the airport, the flight turned 180-degrees, and headed downwind back to the airport. It appeared to the witnesses that the flight would be landing; however, the airplane stayed about 25 to 50 feet above the runway, they heard power being applied, and the airplane started a steep climb. Initially, the aircraft started to go into a left turn, but then turned right, over the water. The flight was then observed going into a steep spiral descent and crashed. Examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction. Amitriptyline, a sedating antidepressant and nortriptyline, a metabolite of amitriptyline, were detected in the blood of the pilot-in-command at levels consistent with the regular use of the medication. Paroxetine, another prescription antidepressant, was detected in the blood at almost 10 times the level expected with regular use. The pilot was noted to have a history of migraine headaches. A migraine headache may have adversely affected his ability to fly the aircraft. The possibility that the pilot was intentionally engaging in a risky or self-destructive act cannot be conclusively excluded.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.