AT ABOUT 2100 PDT ON 7/5/86, THE FLT DEPARTED LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ FOR AN UNKN DESTN. ON THE NEXT MORNING AT APRX 0330, WITNESSES, WHO WERE FISHING ON LAKE HAVASU, HEARD THE ACFT CIRCLE TWICE, THEN CRASH ABOUT 2 MI WEST OF THE ARPT ON THE CALIFORNIA SIDE OF THE LAKE. THE WX WAS CLEAR & IT WAS A DARK NIGHT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A STEEP DSCNT; IT MOVED ONLY ABOUT 20' AFTER IMPACT & THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE & FWD FUSELAGE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PLT & 2 OF THE PAX WERE POSITIVE FOR BENZOYLECGONINE & COCAINE. FOR BENZOYLECGONINE, THE PLT'S BLOOD, LIVER & KIDNEY TISSUE TESTED 0.46 MICROGRAM/MILLILITER, 0.58 MICROGRAM/GRAM & 1.3 MICROGRAMS/GRAM, RESPECTIVELY. FOR COCAINE, HIS LIVER & KIDNEY TISSUE TESTED 0.01 & 0.23 MICROGRAM/GRAM, RESPECTIVE-LY. THE PLT POSSESSED A STUDENT LICENSE THAT HAD EXPIRED. THREE OF THE 4 PAX WERE OCCUPYING THE 2 REAR SEATS.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES..NOT FOLLOWED..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

IMPAIRMENT(DRUGS)..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

QUALIFICATION..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

LIGHT CONDITION..DARK NIGHT

Contributing Factors

VISUAL/AURAL PERCEPTION..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION..PILOT IN COMMAND

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