What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot and only occupant of N7011Y, an amateur built 1992 paiement thomas rans S-12 airraile, collided with a steel cable that spans the sandy river in the town of Mercer, Maine. The first call in reference to the accident was made to the Maine state police at approximately 1600 hrs. On September 24, 2002. Inspectors from the portland, Maine flight standards district office arrived at the scene at 1955 hrs. On the above mentioned date, and observed the wreckage of N7011Y entangled with a steel cable approximately 25 to 30 feet above the ground, the body of a white male was still in the wreckage and was restrained in the aircraft seat by the lap belt. The steel cable that spans the sandy river is used by the us geological survey water resource division, a two man cable cart is used to measure water flow and depth during different times of the year, the aircraft struck the cable at approximately mid span and at the cables' lowest height which was estimated at 25 to 30 feet above the sandy river, depth of the sandy river at the time of the accident was about 1 1/2 to 2 feet, the cable is supported by two towers, one on each side of the river. The steel cable was estimated to be approximately 1 inch in diameter. At measured locations along the cable there are orange paint marks about 5 to 6 inches in length at every approximately 6 feet in length, these orange markings are not for identification but for specific location points in order to measure the river flow and other test conducted on this river. The trooper responsible for the accident scene as well as the accident report filed by the main state police was tr. Diane a vance, troop c, 162 west front street, skowhegan, Maine 04976, telephone 207-624-7076. Trooper vance photographed the accident scene upon her initial arrival, during removal of the aircraft and body and after the aircraft and body had been removed from the cable, the film reels were given to inspector dennis tremblay. Airworthiness safety inspector david wilkie of the portland Maine FSDO, inspected the aircraft at the accident scene and did not find any mechanicl problems associated with the Rotax engine on the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT AND ONLY OCCUPANT OF N7011Y, AN AMATEUR BUILT 1992 PAIEMENT THOMAS RANS S-12 AIRRAILE, COLLIDED WITH A STEEL CABLE THAT SPANS THE SANDY RIVER IN THE TOWN OF MERCER, MAINE. THE FIRST CALL IN REFERENCE TO THE ACCIDENT WAS MADE TO THE MAINE STATE POLICE AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HRS. ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2002. INSPECTORS FROM THE PORTLAND, MAINE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT 1955 HRS. ON THE ABOVE MENTIONED DATE, AND OBSERVED THE WRECKAGE OF N7011Y ENTANGLED WITH A STEEL CABLE APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE BODY OF A WHITE MALE WAS STILL IN THE WRECKAGE AND WAS RESTRAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT SEAT BY THE LAP BELT. THE STEEL CABLE THAT SPANS THE SANDY RIVER IS USED BY THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER RESOURCE DIVISION, A TWO MAN CABLE CART IS USED TO MEASURE WATER FLOW AND DEPTH DURING DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE CABLE AT APPROXIMATELY MID SPAN AND AT THE CABLES' LOWEST HEIGHT WHICH WAS ESTIMATED AT 25 TO 30 FEET ABOVE THE SANDY RIVER, DEPTH OF THE SANDY RIVER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 TO 2 FEET, THE CABLE IS SUPPORTED BY TWO TOWERS, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE RIVER. THE STEEL CABLE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH IN DIAMETER. AT MEASURED LOCATIONS ALONG THE CABLE THERE ARE ORANGE PAINT MARKS ABOUT 5 TO 6 INCHES IN LENGTH AT EVERY APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET IN LENGTH, THESE ORANGE MARKINGS ARE NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION BUT FOR SPECIFIC LOCATION POINTS IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE RIVER FLOW AND OTHER TEST CONDUCTED ON THIS RIVER. THE TROOPER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCIDENT SCENE AS WELL AS THE ACCIDENT REPORT FILED BY THE MAIN STATE POLICE WAS TR. DIANE A VANCE, TROOP C, 162 WEST FRONT STREET, SKOWHEGAN, MAINE 04976, TELEPHONE 207-624-7076. TROOPER VANCE PHOTOGRAPHED THE ACCIDENT SCENE UPON HER INITIAL ARRIVAL, DURING REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND BODY AND AFTER THE AIRCRAFT AND BODY HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CABLE, THE FILM REELS WERE GIVEN TO INSPECTOR DENNIS TREMBLAY. AIRWORTHINESS SAFETY INSPECTOR DAVID WILKIE OF THE PORTLAND MAINE FSDO, INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND DID NOT FIND ANY MECHANICL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROTAX ENGINE ON THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.