Dad Had Cocaine in System After Plane Crash That Killed His Daughter: NTSB

A 53-year-old Round Lake man had cocaine in his system when he crashed a plane in Florida in 2014, killing himself, his teenage daughter and seriously injuring her teenage friend, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.

Jeffrey Bronken, owner of The Glass Man Inc., a Highland-Park based business, crashed his Piper PA-28-181 into power lines at about 4 a.m on March 22, 2014, 8 miles short of the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, according to authorities. The NTSB report also notes “Inadequate fuel planning” likely lead to a “total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.”

“Impairment from cocaine likely affected his preflight fuel planning abilities and en route fuel management,” the report stated.

The results suggest Bronken ingested cocaine and alcohol, per the NTSB report:

Cocaine was detected in cavity blood (0.024 ug/ml), urine (7.301 ug/ml), and liver (0.078 ug/g). Benzoylecgonine, an inactive cocaine metabolite, was detected in cavity blood (0.638 ug/ml), urine (109.404 ug/ml), and liver (0.994 ug/g). Ecgonine methyl ester, another inactive cocaine metabolite, was detected in cavity blood, urine, and liver. Cocaethylene, an active metabolite of cocaine only produced when ethanol is also ingested, was detected in cavity blood, urine (0.775 ug/ml), and liver. Anhydroecgonine methyl ester, a metabolite of smoked cocaine, was detected in liver and urine but not in the cavity blood. Levamisole was detected in the cavity blood and urine.

The interaction in the bloodstream of cocaine and alcohol prolongs the intoxicating effects. The toxicology results also suggest the pilot smoked “crack” cocaine.

The pilot’s daughter Katherine Bronken, 15, and her friend Keyana Linbo, were taken to a hospital following the crash. Katherine Bronken died days later and her father died in the crash.

Bronken’s plane took off from Campbell Airport in Grayslake around 6 p.m. The National Transportation and Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office are investigating. Bronden radioed a “fuel emergency” to air traffic control just before 4 a.m. and then radioed seconds later: “landing on the highway sir, fuel emergency,” according to an NTSB report.

The plane nosedived into the street in Florida after hitting the power lines.

The group was flying to Florida for spring break.

Neighbors told the Chicago Sun-Times that Bronken’s wife flew to Florida after being told of the crash. Bronken was licensed as a pilot in 2007. The Sun-Times also reports FAA records show the plane was registered to Bronken’s glass business. His company,The Glass Man Inc., installs custom-glass in homes.

• read the full NTSB report