What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Several minutes after departing bowman field, livermore falls, ME, (B10), aircraft was reported circling a residence believed to be his daughter's house. Witnesses stated the engine "ran rough" for several seconds and then stopped completely. Pilot appeared to be gliding towards an apple orchard for an off-field landing when left wingtip came into contact with the trunk of a pine tree. Aircraft spun violently to the left and impacted the ground in an almost vertical attitude, nose first. Pilot was killed immediately on impact. Subsequent investigation yielded a fuel strainer full of debris and little evidence of fuel in the wing tanks. No evidence of fuel leakage was found at the crash site.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING BOWMAN FIELD, LIVERMORE FALLS, ME, (B10), AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED CIRCLING A RESIDENCE BELIEVED TO BE HIS DAUGHTER'S HOUSE. WITNESSES STATED THE ENGINE "RAN ROUGH" FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED COMPLETELY. PILOT APPEARED TO BE GLIDING TOWARDS AN APPLE ORCHARD FOR AN OFF-FIELD LANDING WHEN LEFT WINGTIP CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TRUNK OF A PINE TREE. AIRCRAFT SPUN VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL ATTITUDE, NOSE FIRST. PILOT WAS KILLED IMMEDIATELY ON IMPACT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION YIELDED A FUEL STRAINER FULL OF DEBRIS AND LITTLE EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE WING TANKS. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE WAS FOUND AT THE CRASH SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.