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On October 21, 2006, about 0902 eastern daylight time, an unregistered homebuilt two-seat CGS Hawk II Arrow, operated by a private individual, crashed into a swamp near Crystal Springs, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal, local flight from Blackwater Creek Ultralight Flightpark, Plant City, Florida. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated between 0815 and 0830, from Blackwater Creek Ultralight Flightpark.
A witness located at the Blackwater Creek Ultralight Flightpark reported that the accident flight departed the airport to the south, turned an unspecified direction, then proceeded north towards Zephyrhills. The witness reported that during the time he saw the airplane flying, he did not notice anything unusual. A witness who was located approximately .75 nautical mile southwest of the crash site reported that fog existed, and he observed an airplane fly over his property. The airplane was flying in a northeasterly direction at an estimated 400 to 500 feet above ground level. He initially heard the engine but reported a short time later hearing a sputtering sound followed by a crackling sound. He compared the crackling sound to that heard by a parachute falling through the air. He then heard a loud sound, waited a couple minutes then called 911.
The airplane crashed into a marsh/swamp located at 28 degrees 12.058 minutes North latitude and 082 degrees 07.473 minutes West longitude, or approximately 3.8 nautical miles north-northeast of the departure airport. The airplane came to rest upright with the empennage elevated.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot was the holder of a private pilot certificate with glider rating, issued on November 23, 2005. He did not hold an FAA issued medical certificate.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Postmortem examinations of the pilot and passenger were performed by the District Six Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of death for both was listed as blunt trauma.
Toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot and passenger was performed by the FAA Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory (CAMI), located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and also by Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory (Pinellas Laboratory), located in Largo, Florida.
The results of testing of pilot specimens by CAMI was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. Citalopram was detected in blood (0.689 ug/ml), and an unquantified amount of Citalopram was detected in the submitted liver and gastric specimens. An unquantified amount of N-Desmethylcitalopram was detected in the submitted liver and gastric specimens, and 0.387 ug/mL N-Desmethylcitalopram was detected in the submitted blood specimen. An unquantified amount of DI-N-Desmethylcitalopram was detected in the submitted liver and gastric specimens, and 0.053 ug/mL DI-N-Desmethylcitalopram was detected in the submitted blood specimen. The results of testing of pilot specimens by Pinellas Laboratory were negative for the presumptive drug screen. The vitreous fluid was negative for ethanol, while the chest blood sample tested positive for ethanol 0.013 g/dL.