Augusta Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Augusta, Maine 04330
Saturday, June 16, 1990 1:26 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE STUDENT PILOT'S CERTIFICATE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REVOKED FOR TAKING AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT THE OWNER'S PERMISSION. HE TOOK AN AIRPLANE AGAIN WITHOUT PERMISSION FOR A NIGHT FLIGHT IN WEATHER THAT WAS INDEFINITE 100' CEILING WITH 1/4 MI VISIBILITY & FOG. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED CLOUDS & THE PILOT MADE A DESCENDING TURN TO REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND & WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. THE OWNER SAID HE KEPT A SPARE SET OF KEYS IN THE AIRPLANE & THEY WERE MISSING TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE SPARE KEYS WERE FOUND ON THE PILOT'S KEY RING AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AFTER THE DOWNED AIRPLANE & PILOT WERE FOUND, HE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL. A SAMPLE OF HIS BLOOD WAS DRAWN & A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED IT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.01 G/DL (0.010%).

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT, HIS DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF PROPER CERTIFICATION (QUALIFICATION), HIS POSSIBLE IMPAIRMENT DUE TO CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT AND FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/16/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 126
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City AUGUSTA
Event State MAINE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 04330
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport AUGUSTA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID AUG
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 352
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 132 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID AUG
Elevation of weather observation facility 352
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1560
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 16 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 241
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42832
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2898U
NTSB Number NYC90LA131
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172
Aircraft Series Identifier 172
Aircraft Serial Number 17250498
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Oct 3 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 4368
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES L. JOHNSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 25 WARREN ST.
Aircraft Owner City HALLOWILL
Aircraft Owner State ME
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 04347
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MICHAEL DUPLESSIS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 12 MAYFLOWER ROAD
Operator City AUGUSTA
Operator State ME
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 04330
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code AUG
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 126
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26
Runway Length 2703
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --