There was no way he was conscious when he hit. He was talking to one of my friends in the TRACON and they didn't hear a peep out of him. He just dissapeared off the radar.
There is no way to say conclusively that is the case based only on silence from the aircraft. Fire, electrical malfunction and subsequent disorientation/distraction, flight control failure and dealing with an engine failure come to mind immediately as alternative explanations for silence.
Where does yapping on the radio come on your list of priorities when you're dealing with something that is killing you?
Dead last.
You have CO detectors in your airplane? You better.
