Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain crash, Aug 16, 2002 (1 killed)
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain accident on August 16, 2002 near Sanderson, West Virginia, United States with 1 fatality. Cause: Physiological...
- Date: August 16, 2002
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
- Location: Sanderson, West Virginia, United States
- Fatalities: 1
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Physiological impairment or incapacitation of the pilot, likely linked to a recent worsening of Crohn's disease, and his decision to fly in that medical condition.
A Piper Navajo Chieftain flying a ferry flight returned alone from Charleston and descended under radar control toward a ridge in visual conditions. It struck trees near the top of the ridge and came to rest in a ravine. The pilot was medically impaired at the time, and tissue tests found meperidine. The pilot was the only fatality.