Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
French Lick Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Orleans, Indiana 47452
Thursday, March 5, 1998 8:57 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated pilot departed Indianapolis, IN, for French Lick, IN, to pick up passengers. The airplane crashed 12 miles northwest of the intended destination. The wreckage was located the following afternoon in a wooded area near the crest of a hill. Local weather at the time of the accident was reported to be 100 foot overcast with 1/8 mile visibility due to fog. The aircraft initially contacted 25-30 foot high trees and the wreckage distribution was observed to be 500-600 feet in length. Toxicological examination of samples from the pilot revealed The toxicological examination of the specimens taken revealed: 193 ug/ml Diazepam was detected in blood, 212 ug/ml Nordiazepam was detected in the blood, 1.2 ug/ml Acetaminophen was detected in blood, Temazepam was detected in blood, Buspirone was detected in blood, Oxymetazoline was detected in blood, Nordiazepam was detected in urine, Temazepam was detected in urine, Oxazepam was detected in urine, Buspirone was detected in urine, Oxymetazoline was detected in urine, 125.2 ug/ml Acetaminophen was detected in urine, Diazepam is a prescription tranquilizer commonly used to treat anxiety or muscle spasms. Nordiazepam, temazepam, and oxazepam are metabolites of diazepam. Buspirone is a prescription tranquilizer used to treat anxiety. Oxymetazoline is a common ingredient used in over-the-counter nasal decongestants and eye drops. Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter painkiller and fever reducer. Broken prescription bottles and a pill container were located in the wreckage along with numerous pills. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Great Lakes Region Medical Division, pilots are prohibited from operating aircraft while taking Diazepam and/or Buspirone.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's attempted VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance with trees. Contributing factors were the pilot's impairment from prescription drugs, low ceilings, fog, trees, and hilly terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/5/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 857 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ORLEANS |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 47452 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FRENCH LICK |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FRH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 12 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 45 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1589 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 6 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1343 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 10:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2546S |
| NTSB Number | CHI98FA099 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | T210L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | T210L |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21061325 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 21 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM LEON SMITH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5223 BRENDONRIDGE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | INDIANAPOLIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46226 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | UMP |
| Departure City | INDIANAPOLIS |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FRH |
| Destination City | FRENCH LICK |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |