REPORT NUMBERING SYSTEM -The numbering of technical project reports Issued by the Naval Air Development Center Is arranged for specific Identification purposes. Each number consists of the Center acronym, the calendar year In which the number was assigned, the sequence number of the report within the specific calandar year, and the official 2-digit correspondence code of the Command Officer or the Functional Department responsible for the report. For example: Report No. NADC 88020-60 indicates the twentieth Center report for the year 1988 and prepared by the Air Vehicle and Crew Systems Technology Department. The numerical codes are as follows:

Our laboratory was interested in epidemiological and toxicological findings from aircraft-assisted pilot suicides. Between 1993-2002 there were 3,648 fatal aviation accidents. The NTSB determined that 16 were aircraft-assisted suicides; 15 from intentional crashing of an aircraft and 1 from exiting the aircraft while in-flight. All pilots involved in these aircraft-assisted suicides were male, with a median age of 40 years. Seven of the 14 pilots for which specimens were available were positive for disqualifying substances. Based on the few cases conclusively attributed to suicide, death by the intentional crashing of an aircraft appears to be an infrequent and uncommon event.

This study was conducted to determine the extent of drug use in pilots who have died in aviation accidents from 2004 to 2008 and to determine the types of drugs most commonly found. A comparison of previously published reports with this study's report was made to determine trends in drug use by pilots who have died in aviation accidents over the past 20 yr. Factors were discussed that could influence drug trends. Diphenhydramine, an H1 antihistamine with impairing properties, is the most commonly found drug in pilots who died in an aviation accident.

No abstract