Aircraft Was Making Low Passes Over Wedding Party When It Impacted Trees

The NTSB has issued a probable cause report from an accident in which a man was fatally injured while flying over his daughter's wedding reception.

According to the report, the pilot was performing a series of low passes in a Cessna 206 over a group of people at an outdoor wedding reception party. Witnesses observed the airplane fly over the party at near tree-top level traveling between 100 and 120 knots. The airplane made two successful passes over the group, and, on the third pass, the airplane entered a right turn and initiated a climb just before impacting the top of a spruce tree. The climb continued briefly before the airplane rolled inverted and descended through the trees to ground impact.

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing identified likely impairing levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and low levels of diazepam in the pilot's blood. However, diazepam and THC levels are known to change after death and may be elevated due to movement of the drugs out of storage sites into blood. Therefore, it was not possible to determine if the pilot was impaired from the effects of THC and/or diazepam at the time of the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while intentionally maneuvering close to the ground.

(NTSB image)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20150721X13320&key=1