Talon Air Service

Beechcraft 80 Queen Air

Witnesses observed the airplane contact the water while buzzing a lake, 'emerge from a cloud of water,' and enter a climb trailing white vapor. As the airplane approached the lake shore, the right propeller 'quit turning,' then the airplane entered a steep right bank and impacted the ground. The right propeller lever was found in the feather position. Propeller teardowns revealed signatures indicating the right propeller was feathered and the left propeller was operating in the low pitch range at impact. Disassembly of the engines revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies, and, in the opinion of the manufacturer, 'both engines appeared capable of producing power prior to impact.' Toxicological tests showed 178.000 mg/dl (0.178%) ethanol in vitreous fluid, 90.000 mg/dl (0.09%) ethanol in blood, 114.000 mg/dl (0.114%) ethanol in brain fluid, 3.000 mg/dl acetaldehyde in brain fluid, 22.000 mg/dl acetaldehyde in blood, and 4.000 mg/dl 2-propanol in brain fluid. The levels of ethanol found indicate ingestion of alcohol, and the levels of acetaldehyde and 2-propanol (metabolites of ethanol) detected support ingestion of alcohol.