20100814041849A

Accident occurred August 14, 2010, at off field wooded site, near route 35 in Harrison, Maine. Aircraft is a 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12-D, s/n 8689. Tach time was 683.5 hours total time 2063.5.left seat pilot Mr. George f. fortin with private pilot certificate # 3305798RIGHT seat pilot Mr. Anatole kalinuk with commercial pilot certificate #2025030AT approximately 2030 hours on August 14, 2010, I received notification of a overdue aircraft from the FAA comm.-center that a 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12-D, s/n 8689, with two people onboard. Sunday August 15, 2010 @ 0600 we were notified that the aircraft was located off route 35, near cape Monday road in Harrison, Maine. The conversation confirmed that there were 2 fatalities and the aircraft appeared destroyed. On scene at the accident site it was noted that the aircraft was facing nose down to a stone wall next to a large tree. The aircraft was vertical and parallel next to the impact tree. The left seat occupant was george fortin who was wearing a seatbelt but the airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses. The right seat occupant was anatole kalinuk. He too was wearing the seatbelt. With respect to the flight, the pilot (george) departed limington harmon airport (63B) about 0830 and flew to maple ridge airport (03ME) which is a private airfield, with no flight plan found on file and weather briefing information is unknown. It was determined that visual meteorological conditions existed on Saturday and Sunday. At 03ME, Mr. Kalinik entered the airplane where only one takeoff was reported. The flight then departed the airfield area and when flying over long lake, a witness who is a harbor master saw the airplane flying in a northerly direction when he heard a "pop" sound, followed by engine silence. The witness reported the airplane turned east then went out of sight. Later we were informed that two additional witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying in a northerly direction then heard sputtering sounds, following by engine silence. These witnesses reported the airplane turning to the east then went out of sight. The aircraft contacted several tree tops, descended and contacted a large tree with the right wing approximately 30-40 feet up, descended vertically down and impacted a stone wall. First over view is the propeller was not under power on impact, there was no smell of fuel, the right wing fuel tank was compromised and empty, the right wing tank shut-off valve was in the off position, and engine case was in tack and will need further investigation for possible cause. We found pieces of the right navigation light 30 to 40 yards north of the actual crash site. This would indicate the aircraft contacted the trees prior to contacting the large tree. The ELT did not activate but was found in the cabin area with the switch in the off position. The aircraft annual inspection was completed on 09-03-2009 @ tach time of 674.7 hours as un-airworthy for no airworthiness certificate. Examination of the FAA records indicates a replacement airworthiness certificate was issued on 9-16-2009 by EA-FSDO-65. The aircraft total time at the inspection was 2054.7 hours. The tach time at the time of the accident is 683.5 and total time of 2063.5 hours. The Continental engine was overhauled on 10-02-1986 and installed 06-20-1989 @ tach time 469.0 hours.