RiverCity
23rd Jan 2002, 20:51
Cargo pilot had cocaine in his blood. .Two died when DC-3 crashed in 2001 near Unalaska. . .By Lucas Wall, Anchorage Daily News. .(Published: January 23, 2002)
[quote]The pilot of a DC-3 cargo plane that crashed last January near Unalaska had cocaine in his blood and his first officer was taking anti-depressants without FAA knowledge, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The recently released report, which is a finding of facts, does not assign a probable cause for the Majestic Air Cargo crash, which killed captain Jody Pond, 53, and first officer Angela Drennan, 39, who was also Pond's girlfriend.
It has been submitted to the safety board by Scott Erickson, an NTSB investigator in Anchorage, who said the board typically issues a final report within two months.
It is rare to find illegal drugs in the blood of pilots involved in crashes, Erickson said.
The Majestic DC-3 struck a 1,500-foot mountain about 4 1/2 miles northwest of Unalaska after a nighttime take-off one year ago today. The two pilots were the only people aboard and were flying a shipment of cod sperm to Anchorage.
A toxicological examination of Pond's blood found 0.062 micrograms per milliliter of cocaine, according to the report, and cocaine metabolites were found in his blood and urine. Erickson said he could not speculate about how much cocaine Pond had taken or when he took it.
Pond had a prior substance abuse problem, the report states. He was convicted in 1985 of conspiracy and distribution of cocaine and served four years in federal prison. He regained his FAA medical certificate in 1991 and founded Majestic in 1997. He served as president and operations director for the small, two-plane cargo company.
Majestic's phone number is disconnected. The company went out of business after the crash, employees at other local air cargo companies said Tuesday.
An analysis found Drennan's blood contained amitriptyline and nortriptyline, two mood-altering antidepressant drugs. Pilots are required to inform the FAA of any prescriptions they are taking. Drennan did not do that, according to the report.
In 1988, the FAA revoked Drennan's medical certificate due to a history of seizures. She appealed to an NTSB administrative law judge, which reversed the decision in 1991, allowing her to continue flying.
Both pilots had been involved in previous crashes. Pond crash-landed a DC-3 in 1998 in a swamp near Point MacKenzie after running out of fuel.
His pilot's certificate was suspended for 45 days. Later that year, a DC-3 piloted by Pond was damaged while landing in Anchorage. Drennan was the first officer in both incidents.
The Jan. 23, 2001, crash near Unalaska was the first of eight fatal aviation incidents in the state last year. The NTSB has not yet released factual reports about or determined the probable cause of the year's seven other crashes.<hr></blockquote>
[quote]The pilot of a DC-3 cargo plane that crashed last January near Unalaska had cocaine in his blood and his first officer was taking anti-depressants without FAA knowledge, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The recently released report, which is a finding of facts, does not assign a probable cause for the Majestic Air Cargo crash, which killed captain Jody Pond, 53, and first officer Angela Drennan, 39, who was also Pond's girlfriend.
It has been submitted to the safety board by Scott Erickson, an NTSB investigator in Anchorage, who said the board typically issues a final report within two months.
It is rare to find illegal drugs in the blood of pilots involved in crashes, Erickson said.
The Majestic DC-3 struck a 1,500-foot mountain about 4 1/2 miles northwest of Unalaska after a nighttime take-off one year ago today. The two pilots were the only people aboard and were flying a shipment of cod sperm to Anchorage.
A toxicological examination of Pond's blood found 0.062 micrograms per milliliter of cocaine, according to the report, and cocaine metabolites were found in his blood and urine. Erickson said he could not speculate about how much cocaine Pond had taken or when he took it.
Pond had a prior substance abuse problem, the report states. He was convicted in 1985 of conspiracy and distribution of cocaine and served four years in federal prison. He regained his FAA medical certificate in 1991 and founded Majestic in 1997. He served as president and operations director for the small, two-plane cargo company.
Majestic's phone number is disconnected. The company went out of business after the crash, employees at other local air cargo companies said Tuesday.
An analysis found Drennan's blood contained amitriptyline and nortriptyline, two mood-altering antidepressant drugs. Pilots are required to inform the FAA of any prescriptions they are taking. Drennan did not do that, according to the report.
In 1988, the FAA revoked Drennan's medical certificate due to a history of seizures. She appealed to an NTSB administrative law judge, which reversed the decision in 1991, allowing her to continue flying.
Both pilots had been involved in previous crashes. Pond crash-landed a DC-3 in 1998 in a swamp near Point MacKenzie after running out of fuel.
His pilot's certificate was suspended for 45 days. Later that year, a DC-3 piloted by Pond was damaged while landing in Anchorage. Drennan was the first officer in both incidents.
The Jan. 23, 2001, crash near Unalaska was the first of eight fatal aviation incidents in the state last year. The NTSB has not yet released factual reports about or determined the probable cause of the year's seven other crashes.<hr></blockquote>