The final report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the deadly plane crash that killed all three of the flight’s passengers in 2016 found the Santa Clarita pilot was under the influence of multiple narcotics at the time of the crash.
The Reno airport crash in September 2016 killed Robert Drescher, 57, of Stevenson Ranch, Edward Mumbert, 46, of Santa Cruz, and Ronni Hernandez, 34, place of residence unknown, according to a statement from the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The FAA’s Bio Aeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicology tests on samples from Drescher, the pilot, which revealed the presence of multiple narcotics in his system, including several opioids.
Prescription opioids hydrocodone, morphine and oxymorphone were each found to have been present in Drescher’s system at the time of the crash.
Other drugs present in Drescher’s system revealed by the autopsy included over-the-counter drugs acetaminophen and ibuprofen, as well as prescription drugs meprobamate — an anti-anxiety drug — and nordiazepam — an active metabolite of diazepam, a drug prescribed to treat anxiety, seizures or muscle spasms, commonly marketed as Valium.
“If he had taken those types of medications at the same time, the man had no business flying the plane,” said Bob Sharits, program director for The Way Out Recovery SCV. “Being under the influence of any of those drugs separately have an effect.”
The majority of these drugs carry a variety of warnings, including advising users not to drive or operate machinery, warning of potential mental or physical impairment and drowsiness, and warnings against combining medications with other depressants.
Drescher had been previously prescribed multiple opioids between 2014 and 2015 for back pain; however the combination of narcotics in his system indicate Drescher was likely abusing the drugs.
“We need to change people’s minds that it’s not just drunk driving in vehicles,” said Sharits. “Driving anything under the influence is the same thing.”
Drescher was a licensed private pilot and associate of Mumbert.
Mumbert, a bail bondsman from San Jose, had enlisted Drescher to fly him and Hernandez from Reno, Nevada to San Carlos, California, where Hernandez had multiple warrants for her arrest.
NTSB believes the plane was overloaded and estimates the plane’s load exceeded its maximum gross weight of 2,900 pounds by 178 pounds.
Multiple factors may have contributed to the plane’s weight exceeding its maximum load, including the effect of the narcotics on Drescher influencing him to purchase more fuel than necessary and an inaccurate estimate of the arrested passenger’s weight.
When the plane took off, its wings quickly began rocking back and forth, according to the report.
Seeing the plane struggle to gain altitude, an airport tower controller asked the pilot if he was okay.
Drescher reportedly responded, “Negative — we got, ah, we got a problem.”
The plane was almost immediately cleared to land on any runway, but the pilot made no further transmissions.
The plane continued over the runway and began to drift to the right of the runway centerline, and then began a descending right turn, resulting in an impact between the right wing and a lamppost in an airport parking lot.
The wing separated from the plane, causing the plane to immediately roll right, impacting at least 15 parked vehicles, according to CNN.
The cause of death of each passenger is believed to have been blunt force injuries.
To read the report in full, visit the NTSB website, here.
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