Benadryl, Cannabis & the FAA No-Fly List: Fatal Lessons for Pilots

Episode 40 covers a broad mix of recent accidents, preliminary reports, and final NTSB findings, but the episode’s strongest theme is one that many pilots may underestimate: medications and drugs that can impair performance even when they are legal, common, or available over the counter.

Max Trescott and Rob Mark begin with a fatal nighttime crash of C-GPTO, a Cessna 172 in Saskatchewan. The airplane, was on a VFR night cross-country flight that departed around 2:30 a.m. The airplane had been cruising normally at about 5,400 feet before ADS-B coverage ended. The crash occurred in rolling terrain on a moonless night, with possible weather in the area, raising questions about the wisdom of launching a VFR training flight in the middle of the night.

Next is Eclipse 500 N816KD, which ran off Runway 25 at Auburn Municipal Airport in California. Max compares the accident approach with six earlier successful landings by the same airplane. The jet was somewhat high and flew a steeper final descent, but its speed was not dramatically different from previous landings. The striking difference came after touchdown: the Eclipse remained much faster during the rollout. With only 3,700 feet of runway and a downhill slope, the lack of normal deceleration left little margin. The cause of that poor deceleration remains unknown.

The episode then examines Beech Travel Air N529RB, which crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Oregon. ADS-B data showed the airplane making repeated low-altitude circles at roughly 100 feet above the water, about two miles offshore. The unusual flight path, relatively high speed, and comparison with the airplane’s prior flights led Max to discuss the possibility that the crash may have been intentional.

Among the preliminary reports is Piper Seneca N212ML, which disappeared near the Bahamas while flying toward Miami Opa-locka. Strong convective weather was present, and FlightAware data showed large airspeed variations shortly before contact was lost. Investigators have not yet determined what role the weather played.

Another preliminary report involves C-IFBY, a Para-Ski VX powered parachute near Westport, South Dakota. The pilot was seriously injured, one passenger was killed, and another passenger suffered minor injuries. According to the report, the pilot had one child sitting on his lap and another passenger in the rear seat. The aircraft did not qualify as a Part 103 ultralight because its fuel capacity exceeded five gallons and it was configured for more than one occupant. The pilot held only a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, not the pilot certificate required for this aircraft’s operation.

Lake Amphibian N6185V crashed near Ithaca, New York, killing the pilot and passenger. The airplane had been making low approaches or landings at multiple lakes. Investigators found no usable fuel in the main or auxiliary tanks, with only trace amounts in parts of the fuel system. The report strongly points toward fuel exhaustion only a few miles from the airport.

The final reports begin with an accident involving N9626K, a Piper PA-28 near Wayne, Nebraska, in which a non-instrument-rated pilot continued VFR into extremely low clouds and apparently became spatially disoriented. Toxicology detected ethanol and diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, although investigators could not determine whether those substances contributed.

Another Nebraska accident involved Ameriflight Beech C99 N130GP. After takeoff from Norfolk, the left engine suffered a partial loss of power. The airplane never climbed above about 160 feet AGL as its speed decayed toward stall speed and minimum controllable airspeed. The pilot had recently completed company training that included documented difficulty with simulated engine failures after takeoff.

The episode closes with four final reports tied together by toxicology findings. Cessna 182 N6210A crashed during a late go-around at Big Creek, Idaho; the pilot had Benadryl, Zyrtec, and cyclobenzaprine in his system. Piper PA-28 N1039X lost engine power after its fuel selector was apparently positioned between the left tank and off; toxicology showed cannabis use by both the instructor and student. In Piper PA-28 N515DH, the instructor had evidence of recent cannabis and morphine use before a fatal low-altitude stall. Finally, Bonanza N566C entered a graveyard spiral in IMC after takeoff from Greenville, North Carolina; toxicology showed diphenhydramine use.

Max and Rob emphasize that legal medications can still be incompatible with flying. Many pilots do not realize that common allergy and sleep medications can require substantial waiting periods before flight. Their message is to check FAA medication guidance before flying and to remember that impairment can also make it harder for a pilot to recognize his or her own impairment.

The episode cites an NTSB study saying drugs were found in about 40 percent of fatal accidents, a statistic used to underscore how common the issue has become. The discussion distinguishes between proof that a substance was present and proof that it caused an accident, while stressing that pilots should not experiment with their own tolerance when established FAA guidance already exists.