What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) John mcphee was a retired pilot for the Maine warden service providing contract flying services to the Maine state fish & wildlife dept. On the morning of 5-4-03, he initially took-off from houlton, ME (hul) to electronically identify and track lynx in a remote area west Ashland, ME. At approx. 10 am, sportsmen traveling on the American reality road (dirt logging road) 43 miles west of Ashland, discovered the wreckage, with the dead pilot still inside, just 30 feet south of the road. No witnesses, but the evidence indicates he was maneuvering low over the road on a westerly heading (possibly attempting to land). The first contact was with a small birch tree on the south side of the road. There is a blue paint transfer on the tree that matches the damaged left wing tip leading edge. Approx. 126 feet west, a second larger tree was struck (hard). This second impact, damaged the l wing leading edge approximately 4 feet from the tip, causing significant damage to the forward wing spar. Approx. 165 feet from the first contact, the aircraft (fuselage) penetrated the tree line and finally came to rest on its left side on a 250 degree heading with the tail approximately 189 feet from the initial point of contact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) JOHN MCPHEE WAS A RETIRED PILOT FOR THE MAINE WARDEN SERVICE PROVIDING CONTRACT FLYING SERVICES TO THE MAINE STATE FISH & WILDLIFE DEPT. ON THE MORNING OF 5-4-03, HE INITIALLY TOOK-OFF FROM HOULTON, ME (HUL) TO ELECTRONICALLY IDENTIFY AND TRACK LYNX IN A REMOTE AREA WEST ASHLAND, ME. AT APPROX. 10 AM, SPORTSMEN TRAVELING ON THE AMERICAN REALITY ROAD (DIRT LOGGING ROAD) 43 MILES WEST OF ASHLAND, DISCOVERED THE WRECKAGE, WITH THE DEAD PILOT STILL INSIDE, JUST 30 FEET SOUTH OF THE ROAD. NO WITNESSES, BUT THE EVIDENCE INDICATES HE WAS MANEUVERING LOW OVER THE ROAD ON A WESTERLY HEADING (POSSIBLY ATTEMPTING TO LAND). THE FIRST CONTACT WAS WITH A SMALL BIRCH TREE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE IS A BLUE PAINT TRANSFER ON THE TREE THAT MATCHES THE DAMAGED LEFT WING TIP LEADING EDGE. APPROX. 126 FEET WEST, A SECOND LARGER TREE WAS STRUCK (HARD). THIS SECOND IMPACT, DAMAGED THE L WING LEADING EDGE APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET FROM THE TIP, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD WING SPAR. APPROX. 165 FEET FROM THE FIRST CONTACT, THE AIRCRAFT (FUSELAGE) PENETRATED THE TREE LINE AND FINALLY CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE ON A 250 DEGREE HEADING WITH THE TAIL APPROXIMATELY 189 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.