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A man was arrested after a traffic stop in connection with a deadly plane crash in 2019. After running a background check during a traffic stop in Utah, a warrant emerged on the national crime database and the man was caught before he made his way to Arizona. The pilot, 47-year-old Christopher Adam Anderson, was arrested on a federal warrant for one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of registration violations involving an aircraft for the crash four years ago that killed his passenger.
Student pilot Anderson was conducting a cross-country flight with his girlfriend, Heidi Sue Dowland, on Jan. 13, 2019 in a Piper PA-22 160 Tri-Pacer. The NTSB report said the plane departed Pearce Ferry Airport (L25) in Meadview, Arizona at roughly 10:00 a.m. and Dowland texted her sister that the pair was airborne. About 30 minutes later Dowland called a relative while on the ground at the Kingman Airport (IGM) and told them they "either got fuel or attempted to get fuel" and had planned on departing IGM for Glendale Municipal Airport (GEU), about 132 miles southeast of the airport. The NTSB could not determine the time the plane departed IGM but Dowland reportedly told her sister they were expecting to arrive at GEU at 11:30. At about 12:15 p.m. Dowland's sister called the Mohave County Sheriff's Office and Search and Rescue to report that the plane had not yet arrived.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office stated a citizen encountered a male who reported a plane crash about 100 yards from the Mohave County Parks Ranger station. According to the NTSB report, a first responder said Anderson crawled from the wreckage location and flagged down the citizen who then called 911. Anderson told first responders that the plane experienced an electrical failure and he tried turning around but then the engine lost power. The plane impacted the bottom of a ravine about 10 miles south-southeast of IGM. Anderson was seriously injured and Dowland died at the scene.
The NTSB said it made several attempts to obtain a statement from Anderson but he refused to provide any information. The report also stated that Anderson provided no training or flight experience information to the investigators. FAA records indicated that Anderson was issued a combined medical and student pilot certificate in January 2014. Student pilots are prohibited from carrying passengers according to FAA regulations. Anderson did not report any medical conditions or medication use on his third-class medical certificate application. Still, a review of medical records revealed he had diabetes and used fast-acting insulin and an insulin pump, which a family member corroborated. Diabetes is a disqualifying condition for a third-class medical certificate as it requires treatment with insulin or blood-glucose-lowering medications. A person is prohibited from acting as a pilot-in-command while knowing or having any disqualifying medical conditions or taking a disqualifying medication.
According to the NTSB medical factual report, blood tests taken after the crash reveal that Anderson had "abnormally elevated blood glucose of 328 mg/dl," and that he reported having diabetes but its type, one or two, was inconsistently documented. During a doctor's visit in 2012 Anderson reported having a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes since 2002 and had previously been hospitalized in 2010 for a diabetes-related severe metabolic disturbance. He reported feeling weak and shaky when his blood sugars dropped. The NTSB report said his blood glucose levels after the crash were more than twice the normal maximum. He tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
Dowland purchased the Tri-Pacer on Oct. 30, 2018 and a FAA "deregistration" letter was found dated Dec. 31, 2018 stating that the registration was suspended because it had not been renewed following the October sale to Dowland. The report noted that neither fuel cap was found after the crash and there was no fuel recovered from the plane. The final report found the probable cause was Anderson's failure to secure the fuel caps, leading to the fuel being siphoned overboard, fuel exhaustion and total loss of engine power.
St. George News Utah reported that after the investigation a case was filed in federal court in Arizona. According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office Anderson was arrested by Utah Highway Patrol on Jan. 7 and is in custody. St. George News said he is expected in court on Thursday. Anderson has not been convicted oand is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.