Event CEN23FA144

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 29, 2023, about 1853 central daylight time, a Zenith CH-701 airplane, N43414, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Oxford, Mississippi. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The manager of the New Albany/Union County Airport (M72) reported that airport surveillance video footage depicted the airplane departing about 1820. Further review of the available video indicated that the airplane did not subsequently return to the airport. Two friends of the pilot observed the airplane fly over their location on the evening of the accident, although neither individual was certain of the exact time. One friend had sent the pilot a text message about 2050 that evening and called him four times the next day. The pilot did not respond to the message or the calls. On the day after the accident, local authorities were notified after the pilot’s daughter had not heard from the pilot. A search was initiated based on the pilot’s cellphone location, and the wreckage was subsequently located about 2215. The pilot’s friends commented that the pilot normally flew at low altitudes and followed the same route. They were able to see the pilot and his passenger in the airplane as they flew over. One friend also noted that it was unusual for the pilot to fly in the evening; normally he flew earlier in the day. GPS data recovered from a flight planning application on the pilot’s tablet revealed that the pilot departed M72 about 1821 and proceeded south and then southwest. The pilot appeared to circle his friends about 1838. About 1849, when the airplane was about 16 miles southwest of the airport, the pilot reversed course and proceed toward the north and then the northeast, in the general direction of the departure airport. About 1852:50, the airplane entered a right turn. The final data point was recorded at 1853:01, and was about one-third mile north of the accident site. The surviving passenger was unable to provide any statement regarding the circumstances of the accident. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot did not hold a current airman medical certificate. However, the accident airplane met the requirements of a light sport airplane. Operation of a light sport airplane does not require a medical certificate provided the pilot holds a valid state driver’s license and complies with applicable regulations. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONMaintenance records for the airplane were not available during the investigation. The pilot’s logbook contained several notebook pages that included dates and airplane times. An entry noted as “9-11” included adjacent entries of “430.8” and “annual insp.” The subsequent entry noted “12-17-21” consistent with the preceding entry being made on September 11, 2021. The final entry noted as “3-28” included an adjacent entry of “726.8” and appeared to correspond to 2023. Additionally, a note card entitled “oil change” was present in the wreckage. The final entry was “3-10-23” and included an adjacent notation of “708.0.” The airplane hour (Hobbs) meter indicated 748.9 at the accident site. AIRPORT INFORMATIONMaintenance records for the airplane were not available during the investigation. The pilot’s logbook contained several notebook pages that included dates and airplane times. An entry noted as “9-11” included adjacent entries of “430.8” and “annual insp.” The subsequent entry noted “12-17-21” consistent with the preceding entry being made on September 11, 2021. The final entry noted as “3-28” included an adjacent entry of “726.8” and appeared to correspond to 2023. Additionally, a note card entitled “oil change” was present in the wreckage. The final entry was “3-10-23” and included an adjacent notation of “708.0.” The airplane hour (Hobbs) meter indicated 748.9 at the accident site. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane debris path was consistent with the airplane descending into trees and then impacting terrain about one-third mile south of the final GPS data point. Tree heights in the vicinity of the accident site were estimated at 75 feet, and branches with fresh breaks were observed at the accident site. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, right wing, empennage, and engine. The left wing and landing gear were separated from the fuselage and suspended in a tree about 15 ft from the main wreckage and about 50 feet above ground level. An on-scene airframe examination did not reveal any evidence of an in-flight structural failure or preimpact flight control anomaly. A postrecovery engine examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an inability to produce rated power. However, testing of the ignition modules revealed that they both misfired when operating in a narrow range about 4,000 rpm engine speed. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe 67-year-old pilot’s last aviation medical examination was January 29, 2019. At that time, he reported no medication use. He reported a history of high blood pressure controlled without medication. He was issued a third-class medical certificate limited by a requirement to wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. That medical certificate subsequently expired; the pilot did not hold active Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification at the time of the accident. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office performed the pilot’s autopsy. According to the pilot’s autopsy report, his cause of death was multiple injuries, and his manner of death was accident. His left anterior descending coronary artery was 75% narrowed by calcified plaque. The remainder of his autopsy, including visual examination of his heart, did not identify other significant natural disease. Postmortem toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.012 g/dL along with n-propanol in cavity blood; ethanol and n-propanol were not detected in vitreous fluid. Salicylic acid was detected in cavity blood and was not detected in liver tissue. Ethanol is the intoxicating alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor, and, if consumed, can impair judgment, psychomotor performance, cognition, and vigilance. FAA regulation imposes strict limits on flying after consuming ethanol, including a prohibition on piloting a civil aircraft while having a blood ethanol level of 0.04 g/dL or greater. Alcohol consumption is not the only possible source of ethanol in postmortem specimens. Ethanol may sometimes be produced by microbes in a person’s body after death, potentially elevating ethanol levels in some postmortem specimens but not others. Vitreous fluid is generally the specimen type best protected against postmortem microbial ethanol production. N-propanol is another alcohol that can be produced by microbes in a person’s body after death. Detection of n-propanol in a postmortem specimen is potentially indicative of postmortem microbial activity in the specimen, with or without associated ethanol production. Salicylic acid is the primary active metabolite of aspirin, a widely available over-the-counter medication that can be used to control pain and fever and to reduce cardiovascular risk. Salicylic acid is also a metabolite of some other drugs and is used as a topical skin exfoliant in a variety of retail products. Salicylic acid is not generally considered impairing. After takeoff, the pilot proceeded south and then southwest. About 16 miles from the airport, the pilot reversed course and proceeded toward the north and then the northeast, in the general direction of the departure airport. The airplane subsequently entered a right turn toward the south; however, the position data ended about 11 seconds later. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain about one-third mile south of the final data point. A review of the available flight track data, as well as the wreckage disposition, did not reveal any evidence of an in-flight loss of control. An on-scene airframe examination did not reveal any evidence of an in-flight structural failure or preimpact flight control anomaly. A postrecovery engine examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an inability to produce rated power. However, testing of the ignition modules revealed that they both misfired when operating in a narrow range about 4,000 rpm. While the observed anomaly could have resulted in rough engine operation at that specific engine speed, it likely would not have resulted in a loss of engine power. An autopsy revealed the pilot had severe narrowing of a single coronary artery. His coronary artery disease conveyed increased risk of a sudden impairing or incapacitating cardiac event such as unstable arrhythmia or heart attack. There was no autopsy evidence that such an event occurred, but such an event leaves no reliable autopsy evidence if it occurs immediately before death. The limited available information about the circumstances of the crash adds little clarity about the likelihood of a medical event. Thus, whether the pilot’s coronary artery disease contributed to the accident cannot be determined. Toxicology testing revealed that ethanol was detected at a low level in cavity blood, a specimen type in which n-propanol was also detected. Ethanol was not detected in vitreous fluid, which is generally the specimen type best protected against postmortem ethanol formation. These results indicate that some or all the small amount of detected ethanol may have been from postmortem production, and that ethanol effects did not likely contribute to the accident. In light of the lack of any significant anomalies with respect to the airplane examinations, and an inability to attribute the event to the pilot’s coronary artery disease and an in-flight medical event, the investigation was unable to determine the specific reason for the impact with the trees and terrain. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome