I just went down the rabbit hole: he bought an experimental long-ez where the previous owner (who built the plane) put the fuel gauge and fuel tank switch behind the pilots seat, so he had to turn around to see it and change it. He likely ran out of fuel on one tank, turned to change the tank in a panic and pushed on the rudder as he was in the pattern doing some practice landings and put the plane into an unexpected orientation that caused it to crash into the ocean.
Not that I read. He had his medical cert revoked at the time because of his multiple dui’s, but there’s nothing to suggest he was high on drunk while flying. He was just careless in a poorly built plane (at least from the cockpit ergonomics).
That’s not the wild part. How did the plane crash?
I just went down the rabbit hole: he bought an experimental long-ez where the previous owner (who built the plane) put the fuel gauge and fuel tank switch behind the pilots seat, so he had to turn around to see it and change it. He likely ran out of fuel on one tank, turned to change the tank in a panic and pushed on the rudder as he was in the pattern doing some practice landings and put the plane into an unexpected orientation that caused it to crash into the ocean.
For some reason, I thought he was free basing in the plane and had a whoopsie.
Not that I read. He had his medical cert revoked at the time because of his multiple dui’s, but there’s nothing to suggest he was high on drunk while flying. He was just careless in a poorly built plane (at least from the cockpit ergonomics).
It was probably pre internet rumors like Richard Gere and the gerbils.