Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ashland, Maine 04732
Thursday, March 24, 2011 16:23 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was employed as a state game warden, and, on the day of the accident, he was on patrol in the ski-equipped airplane when he received a radio call from another game warden whose snowmobile was stuck on a nearby frozen lake. After landing on the lake and assisting another game warden, the pilot departed on the accident flight, presumably to return to his home base. The other game warden reported that, immediately after the airplane departed, the visibility was reduced to less than 1/2-mile due to snow. Postaccident analysis of position information recovered from a portable global positioning system (GPS) receiver showed that the airplane flew for about 10 minutes after takeoff at a relatively constant GPS altitude of about 1,500 feet mean sea level, or about 200 to 500 feet above ground level (agl). Shortly before the accident, the airplane turned left, away from its previously established course, toward a frozen lake along the route. During the final moments of the flight, the airplane entered a right descending turn from about 300 feet agl. During this time, the airplane was in an estimated 40-degree right bank, and its descent rate increased to in excess of 3,000 feet per minute. Examination of the accident site revealed ground scars and airplane damage consistent with the established descent profile continuing to impact. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures, although the definitive operational status of the vacuum-driven instruments could not be determined. Analysis of weather information and witness statements were consistent in depicting conditions likely to have produced restricted visibility and possible whiteout conditions in a snow squall over the area at the time of the accident. These restricted visibility conditions would have been conducive to the development of spatial disorientation, and the airplane’s turning ground track and rapid descent were consistent with the pilot losing control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An inadvertent encounter with localized instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/24/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1623 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ashland |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04732 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 463056N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0690802W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1625 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ME04 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1031 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.67 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29684 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 23 2012 7:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N724MT |
| NTSB Number | ERA11GA207 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | A185F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18504283 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 21 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 5181 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 284 STATE ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | AUGUSTA |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04333-0041 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 284 STATE ST |
| Operator City | AUGUSTA |
| Operator State | ME |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 04333-0041 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Ashland |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1613 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | Eagle Lake |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 5 2012 3:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |