Amateur-built RV-7A N445RV accident near Marion, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s sudden incapacitation and natural death as a result of cardiovascular disease.

NTSB analysis

Witnesses reported observing the pilot make two unsuccessful landing attempts in the dark at the unlit airport. The airplane's landing lights were not on. During a third landing attempt, the airplane collided with power lines and trees. The pilot had a history of heart disease and had been given a special issuance third-class airman medical certificate; however, it was not valid at the time of the accident. A toxicology report indicated the use of Losartan, a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure. Although the autopsy did not identify evidence of a recent heart attack, the autopsy did identify evidence indicating that the pilot was at risk for a sudden cardiac event that could result in incapacitation and concluded that the pilot died as a result of hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is likely that the pilot's sudden incapacitation and death during the flight resulted in the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA377 for the full record.