LAX00FA213 HISTORY OF FLIGHT (My favorite Patrick Swayze story - his plane crash)

NTSB ^ | 2001 | NTSB

[PilotDave]

When the witness asked the pilot if he was all right, the pilot answered that he was, but he seemed to be unaware that his airplane had impacted poles during the landing.

The pilot subsequently asked the witness if the wildfires had reached his ranch. The witness stated that he didn't know where the pilot's ranch was. The pilot then asked the witness if he could put some beer that his brother left in the airplane, in the witness' truck. Another witness asked what happened, and the pilot said, "I don't know, I land here almost every other day." They all reported that the pilot seemed impaired, and unaware as to his whereabouts. Two of the witnesses indicated that they smelled alcohol in the airplane, but not on the pilot.

According to the witnesses, the pilot appeared to be looking for something in the airplane. The pilot stated that he was looking for a bottle of wine, which the witness found beneath one of the aft seats. Both the pilot and the witness then exited the airplane with the bottle of wine, which was 1/3 full. Another witness put the wine bottle in his toolbox. The pilot then asked the witnesses to make up a story about what they had seen. They agreed to tell people that they were away at lunch when the accident occurred, The pilot asked the remaining witness if he was in New Mexico, and was told that he wasn't. About 1500, the pilot was contacted by police via cell phone. According to the police statement, the pilot told authorities that he "experienced a pressurization problem."

[PilotDave]

I’ll bet the voice recordings are out there for this flight. That would be interesting to hear. I’ll bet ATC was going crazy for the entire hour that he was manuevering around between 6-9000’. I’ll bet they were trying to get a nearby fighter to intercept him ala Payne Stewart’s Lear Jet.