Autopilot Confusion, Impairment Cited in Fatal Crash of Aviation Vlogger

NTSB final report details pilot’s struggles with complex Beechcraft Debonair and use of disqualifying meds.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, February 20, 2026 at 04:40 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Beechcraft F33A Debonair [Credit: FLYING Archives]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB determined the crash that killed aviation vlogger Jenny Blalock and her father was due to a loss of aircraft control, possibly caused by the misuse of the aircraft's autopilot system.
Blalock, a relatively new pilot, had a history of struggling with the high-performance Beechcraft Debonair's autopilot and manual handling, with instructors noting poor situational awareness and difficulty staying ahead of the aircraft.
The Debonair's "prompting" autopilot required specific manual trim adjustments that Blalock often mismanaged, potentially leading to pilot-induced oscillations that escalated into an uncontrolled descent.
Toxicology reports indicated Blalock had ingested disqualifying medications for anxiety and depression, which could have impaired her psychomotor and cognitive abilities during the flight.

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The National Transportation Safety Board has cited a loss of aircraft control possibly attributed to the misuse of the autopilot as one of the causal factors in the crash of a Beechcraft Debonair that killed aviation vlogger Jenny Blalock and her father James in December 2023 near Pulaski, Tennessee.

Blalock, 45, began her aviation training in 2021 and used video cameras in the cockpit to document her experiences on her YouTube channel, TNFlygirl.