A Pilot Asks for Tragedy

A pilot with a shocking disregard for personal safety comes to his inevitable demise.

Peter Garrison

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at 12:31 AM ET

Verified

Piper PA-32 Turbo Saratoga Courtesy Piper

Key Takeaways:

A VFR pilot without an instrument rating fatally crashed his Piper Turbo Saratoga after intentionally flying into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) and attempting to descend through a solid overcast.
The pilot had a documented history of extreme overconfidence, disregard for aviation safety regulations, and had previously falsified his flight credentials and had his student certificate revoked for prior misconduct.
Toxicology reports revealed the presence of cocaine and alcohol byproducts, which likely exacerbated his already impaired judgment and pathological overconfidence, contributing significantly to the accident.

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The Piper Turbo Saratoga departed Dallas Addison Airport (ADS) a few minutes after noon on an unseasonably warm December day. The pilot did not file a flight plan, and his destination is unknown. At 1327, the pilot radioed Kansas City Center for flight following, reporting his altitude as 11,500 feet. At 1400, the pilot reported that he was descending to 3,500 feet.

The controller asked the pilot whether he was above an overcast and needed a clearance to descend through it. The pilot replied, “No, we’re on top of the overcast. I think we can get down through it, get on down where we need to be.”