NCJ Number
131258
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1991) Pages: 1121-1128
Date Published
1991
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Toxicological analyses were performed on biological specimens from 377 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fatalities during 1989 by the Division of Forensic Toxicology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.
Abstract
A standard testing protocol of carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and drug screening was performed on all cases for which appropriate specimens were received. Carbon monoxide was found in 94 percent of cases tested at less than 10 percent saturation, and in 6 percent of the cases at concentrations greater than 10 percent. There were 14.8 percent ethanol positive cases (higher than 10 milligram/deciliter), of which 30 percent were due to ethanol ingestion, 8.5 percent due to postmortem ethanol formation, and 1.8 percent due to undetermined origin. With the exclusion of nicotine and ethanol, 12.6 percent of the cases were positive for one or more drugs. The most frequent drugs found were salicylate (16 cases) and acetaminophen (13 cases). There was minimal use of therapeutic drugs which cause central nervous system (CNS) depression or stimulation. Phentermine and methlphinidate were the two CNS stimulants found. In the abused drugs category, minimal use was found also, with only 1.3 percent (5 cases) positive for cannabinoids and 1.6 percent (6 cases) positive for benzoylecgonine in the 374 cases tested. No pattern of consistent drug use in civilian aviation fatalities was found with these results. 7 tables and 17 references (Author abstract modified)