A pilot who died in a crash that also killed five others had taken a cocktail of powerful prescription drugs, according to an NTSB report released last week. The pilot, identified by the Sentinel & Enterprise as Robert A. Monaco, had the antidepressants imipramine and desipramine, the anti-seizure drug carbamazepine and the narcotic pain reliever morphine in his system when the Beech B200 went down in a sheet-metal shop near the Leominster, Mass. airport. The Sentinel & Enterprise, of Fitchburg, Mass., said that combination of drugs could cause drowsiness and a lack of coordination in a pilot. The plane was taking six people from New York to Leominster. Only a 13-year-old girl survived. Witnesses told the NTSB the plane made sharp turns as it approached the airport. The pilot was being treated for severe pain, episodes of disorientation, seizures and migraines, according to the report.
Four Drugs Found in Pilot
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot who died in a fatal plane crash, killing six people and injuring one, had a "cocktail" of powerful prescription drugs in his system, including antidepressants, an anti-seizure drug, and a narcotic pain reliever.
- The pilot was being treated for severe pain, disorientation, seizures, and migraines, and the combination of drugs could cause drowsiness and a lack of coordination.
- Witnesses observed the plane making sharp turns as it approached the Leominster, Mass., airport before it crashed into a sheet-metal shop.
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