- Location: Gainesville, Georgia
- Accident Number: ERA25LA019
- Date & Time: October 18, 2024, 18:26 Local
- Registration: N11519 Aircraft: Cessna 150
- Aircraft Damage: Substantial
- Defining Event: Medical event
- Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195345/pdf
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195345
On October 18, 2024, at 1826 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150L airplane, N11519, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia. The pilot became incapacitated while in flight and later died. The passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot was approaching the destination airport following a short cross-country flight when he became incapacitated. The passenger reported that the pilot became unresponsive to her calling out to him. The passenger, who had no prior flight experience, reported that the pilot had already announced his intention to land on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and that she could see the airport when she took control of the airplane. Witnesses reported that she transmitted “emergency, emergency” on the CTAF. Although other pilots responded and offered assistance, she made no additional transmissions.
FAA flight track data showed that after overflying the airport, the passenger made three unsuccessful landing attempts before landing on runway 5 on the fourth attempt. The last flight track data point showed the airplane about 250 ft southwest of the runway 05 threshold on a northeasterly track at a ground speed of 108 knots. The airplane impacted the runway nose first, collapsing the nose landing gear, and slid along the runway. A small fire subsequently developed near the forward portion of the airplane, and the lower forward fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot was transported to a local hospital, where he died two days later.
Based on the available medical evidence, the pilot’s sudden incapacitation was likely due to inflight cardiac arrest. The pilot had significant underlying heart disease, including coronary artery disease and heart damage from a previous heart attack. Toxicological testing identified no impairing substances. An autopsy was not performed. FAA records showed that the pilot had met the applicable BasicMed requirements for the flight.
- Probable Cause: The pilot’s sudden incapacitation due to an in-flight cardiac arrest, which necessitated a landing by a non-pilot passenger and resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the nose landing gear.
- Pilot Information:
The pilot’s FAA medical certification file documented a medical history of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all treated with medication. The pilot also had coronary artery disease and experienced a heart attack in 2009 that required quadruple coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery for severe multivessel disease. His medical history also included ischemic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation treated with medication for heart rate control and stroke risk reduction.
The pilot completed a BasicMed course on March 22, 2022, and a BasicMed comprehensive medical examination checklist (CMEC) on March 24, 2022. The pilot subsequently completed another BasicMed course on March 4, 2024, and reported completing a BasicMed CMEC on March 3, 2024. The investigation found no evidence that the pilot completed the reported 2024 CMEC other than his self-report. The 2022 CMEC remained within its 48-month validity period as of the accident date.
When EMS first arrived, the pilot was in cardiac arrest. EMS initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and transported the pilot to a local hospital. After arriving at the hospital, the pilot regained a pulse but remained critically ill following his cardiac arrest. The pilot died at the hospital two days after the accident. Hospital records characterized the pilot’s in-flight incapacitation event as a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. An autopsy was not performed.
Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory of the pilot’s hospital admission specimens detected metformin, carvedilol, and atorvastatin in blood. These medications are not typically impairing and were consistent with the pilot’s medications documented in the reviewed records. A hospital drug screen of a urine specimen collected on October 20, 2024, detected one drug class that could be attributed to medication administered to the pilot during his post-accident medical care.
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