What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that he was returning from a hunting lodge with a load of moose meat. He indicated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane, and the winds at cruise were 45 miles per hour. He described being on final approach to land, at 500 feet above the ground, and encountering a 'hellacious wind which tossed the airplane around like a leaf.' Witnesses on the ground described 'very windy conditions,' and 'the plane spinning into the water.' Weather observations from a station located five miles southwest of the accident site recorded surface winds gusting to 25 knots at the time of the accident. The weather forecast was for moderate to severe turbulence within 2,000 feet of the surface, and winds from the north gusting to 25 knots. (-23) on September 9, 1998, at 1814 adt, a Maule, M-7-235, aircraft N6110C, operated by bobby graham, the sole occupant, sustained substantial damage during approach to landing at island lake. The pilot stated he was returning to his home from mystic lake lodge with a load of moose meat, when he began to encounter severe turbulence. As he crossed scott lake at 500 ft AGL o n final approach, the nose of the aircraft pitched down, then up, then vertically down once more. The pilot stated the last thing he remembers is looking straight down at the water. Reports from other pilots flying in the area at the time, including the NTSB iic, substantiate severe turbulence and wind shear in the area at the time of the accident. Examination of the aircraft showed no indication of prior mechanical failure, but indicated the aircraft impacted the water very hard, and in a nearly nose-down vertical position. Pilot was counseled on operating when possible wind shear conditions exist, and was provided a copy of ac 00-54, pilot windshear guide.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT HE WAS RETURNING FROM A HUNTING LODGE WITH A LOAD OF MOOSE MEAT. HE INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND THE WINDS AT CRUISE WERE 45 MILES PER HOUR. HE DESCRIBED BEING ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, AT 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND ENCOUNTERING A 'HELLACIOUS WIND WHICH TOSSED THE AIRPLANE AROUND LIKE A LEAF.' WITNESSES ON THE GROUND DESCRIBED 'VERY WINDY CONDITIONS,' AND 'THE PLANE SPINNING INTO THE WATER.' WEATHER OBSERVATIONS FROM A STATION LOCATED FIVE MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE RECORDED SURFACE WINDS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER FORECAST WAS FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE WITHIN 2,000 FEET OF THE SURFACE, AND WINDS FROM THE NORTH GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1998, AT 1814 ADT, A MAULE, M-7-235, AIRCRAFT N6110C, OPERATED BY BOBBY GRAHAM, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING APPROACH TO LANDING AT ISLAND LAKE. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME FROM MYSTIC LAKE LODGE WITH A LOAD OF MOOSE MEAT, WHEN HE BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER SEVERE TURBULENCE. AS HE CROSSED SCOTT LAKE AT 500 FT AGL O N FINAL APPROACH, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN, THEN UP, THEN VERTICALLY DOWN ONCE MORE. THE PILOT STATED THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERS IS LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN AT THE WATER. REPORTS FROM OTHER PILOTS FLYING IN THE AREA AT THE TIME, INCLUDING THE NTSB IIC, SUBSTANTIATE SEVERE TURBULENCE AND WIND SHEAR IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO INDICATION OF PRIOR MECHANICAL FAILURE, BUT INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER VERY HARD, AND IN A NEARLY NOSE-DOWN VERTICAL POSITION. PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON OPERATING WHEN POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR CONDITIONS EXIST, AND WAS PROVIDED A COPY OF AC 00-54, PILOT WINDSHEAR GUIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.