NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ATL86FA242
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PILOT HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A BRAIN TUMOR AND WAS TAKING 300 MG OF DILANTIN DAILY FOR THE GILOMA. HE SUFFERED A GRAND MAL SEIZURE ABOUT TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HIS MOTHER STATED THAT THE PILOT TOLD HER DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION THAT HE HAD TAKEN HIS MORNING DOSAGE OF DILANTIN PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR MORGANTON, NC. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WOODED AREA IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THERE WERE SEVERAL FRESHLY CUT TREE BRANCHES ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE AND WRECKAGE FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY AIRCRAFT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. THE EXACT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GILOMA WAS NOT DETERMINED DURING THE AUTOPSY. FAR PART 61.53 STATES THAT NO PERSON MAY ACT AS PILOT IN COMMAND WHILE HE HAS A KNOWN MEDICAL DEFICIENCY, AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HELD ARE NOT MET. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1986_ATL86FA242.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2020 · arXiv preprint
A Lean and Highly-automated Model-Based Software Development Process Based on DO-178C/DO-331
The emergence of a global market for urban air mobility and unmanned aerial systems has attracted many startups across the world.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
A digital fly-by-wire technology development program using an F-8C test aircraft
A digital fly-by-wire flight control system has been installed in an F-8C test airplane and has undergone extensive ground and flight testing as part of an overall program to develop digital fly-by-wi…
- NASA NTRS 2016 · Conference Paper
Design and development experience with a digital fly-by-wire control system in an F-8C airplane
To assess the feasibility of a digital fly-by-wire system, the mechanical flight control system of an F-8C airplane was replaced with a digital system and an analog backup system.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Description and Flight Test Results of the NASA F-8 Digital Fly-by-Wire Control System
A NASA program to develop digital fly-by-wire (DFBW) technology for aircraft applications is discussed. Phase I of the program demonstrated the feasibility of using a digital fly-by-wire system for ai…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Presentation
Failure Analysis of T-38 Aircraft Burst Hydraulic Aileron Return Line
During maintenance troubleshooting for fluctuating hydraulic pressures, a technician found that a right hand aileron return line, on the flight hydraulic side, was ruptured (Fig. 1, 2).
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2016 · Journal article (IJAAA)
A Comparison of Cervical and Trunk Musculoskeletal Characteristics between Female and Male Army Helicopter Pilots
Introduction: Neck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) are prevalent among military helicopter pilots. Although there have been few studies on sex differences in the NP/LBP prevalence in this population…
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