Skaneateles Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Skaneateles, New York 13153
Thursday, February 7, 1991 10:27 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT DEPARTED VFR INTO IMC (FOG AND LOW CLOUD CEILINGS PRIOR TO RECEIVING HIS IFR CLEARANCE. THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS HAD ATTENDED A FUNERAL THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY, BENZOYLECGONINE [COCAINE METABOLITES] LEVELS OF 0.101 UG/ML IN THE BLOOD AND 0.629 IN THE URINE WERE REVEALED IN THE PILOT'S TOXICOLOGICAL SAMPLES. A BENZOYLECGONINE LEVEL OF 0.906 UG/ML IN THE BLOOD WAS REVEALED IN THE TOXICOLOGY SAMPLE FOR THE PILOT'S WIFE. A HUMAN PERFORMANCE LEVEL STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE SAFETY BOARD REVEALED THAT IT IS 'POSSIBLE THAT THE COCAINE USAGE (BY THE PILOT) EXACERBATED FEELINGS OF EUPHORIA AND INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD OF A PRIOR DECISION TO TAKEOFF WITHOUT AN IFR CLEARANCE AT A TIME WHEN HIS CAPABILITIES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISED.'

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS/DISORIENTATION DUE TO THE INFLUENCES OF COCAINE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT, FATIGUE AND ANXIETY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/7/1991
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1027
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City SKANEATELES
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 13153
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SKANEATELES
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 689
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
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 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 1
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1868
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45807
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 9:23AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N80JB
NTSB Number NYC91FA073
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model BE-58
Aircraft Series Identifier BE-58
Aircraft Serial Number TH-769
Certified Max Gross Weight 5400
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNETH JAHN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3582 CHURCH RD.
Aircraft Owner City ELLICOTT CITY
Aircraft Owner State MD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 21043
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name KENNETH JAHN
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 3582 CHURCH RD.
Operator City ELLICOTT CITY
Operator State MD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 21043
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1020
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BWI
Destination City BALTIMORE
Destination State MD
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff - initial climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --