Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Lake Strm, Maine 04637
Friday, August 12, 1994 18:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO GIVE THE PASSENGER A SIGHTSEEING RIDE OF LAKE POCUMCUS. WHILE THE FLIGHT WAS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE, THE PILOT INITIATED A 90-DEGREE CLIMB. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE GAINED ABOUT 300 FEET IN ALTITUDE AND LOST '...ALMOST ALL AIRSPEED.' THE WITNESS STATED, 'I BELIEVE THE PILOT PUSHED THE NOSE OVER BECAUSE THE WINGS STAYED LEVEL.' THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED STRAIGHT DOWN AND IMPACTED THE WATER. NUMEROUS WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD THE ENGINE RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE MANUEVER UNTIL IMPACT. POST- ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY A WITNESS ON THE SHORE OF THE LAKE JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT SHOWED THE AIRPLANE'S ELEVATORS IN A TRAILING EDGE UP POSITION. THE PILOT'S BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.075%. FAA REGULATIONS PROHIBITS OPERATION OF AN AIRCRAFT ABOVE AN 0.040% LEVEL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A MANEUVER AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT FOR RECOVERY. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT DUE TO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/12/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | GRAND LAKE STRM |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04637 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BGR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 192 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1686 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 12 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:57AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8588Y |
| NTSB Number | BFO94FA134 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-18-150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-8892 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1760 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FITZHUGH, RANDALL S. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RR 1 BOX 3065 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LINCOLN |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04457 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FITZHUGH, RANDALL S. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | RR 1 BOX 3065 |
| Operator City | LINCOLN |
| Operator State | ME |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 04457 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | LAKE POCUMCUS |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1825 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |