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

NTSB logo and image [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB cited a loss of aircraft control, potentially stemming from autopilot misuse, as a causal factor in the fatal crash of Jenny Blalock's Beechcraft Debonair, which exhibited severe pilot-induced oscillations.
Instructors noted that Blalock, a relatively new pilot operating a complex, high-performance aircraft, consistently struggled with manual handling, cockpit automation (including autopilot and trim), and maintaining situational awareness.
Toxicology reports revealed the pilot had ingested medications for anxiety and depression that are considered disqualifying for pilots due to their potential for psychomotor and cognitive impairment.

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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.