What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After a period of rainy weather, the pilot had been making cargo delivery flights to the island town of Matinicus, ME. This was to be his 8th delivery of the day. This load contained 350 lbs of groceries. Each flight leg takes approximately 15 minutes; therefore the pilot had flown approximately 4 hours on the day of the accident, all in the same aircraft. Duty day was within 135 requirements. On this approach, eye witnesses stated the aircraft banked sharply to the right just before the airport and impacted trees and utility lines to the right of the airport. It was stated that the engine had increased power significantly. There was also mention of a sudden increase in winds and several dust devils were sighted. A local EMT made it to the scene minutes after the accident and determined the pilot had received fatal injuries. In checking local national weather service buoys, it was determined there was frontal passage at or near the time of the accident. Winds within one half hour prior to the accident were nnw at 24G27, with an altimeter setting of 29.94 and a dew point of 46F. Weather within ½ hour after the accident was winds from nw @ 30G37 with an altimeter setting of 29.97 and a dew point of 42.4.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER A PERIOD OF RAINY WEATHER, THE PILOT HAD BEEN MAKING CARGO DELIVERY FLIGHTS TO THE ISLAND TOWN OF MATINICUS, ME. THIS WAS TO BE HIS 8TH DELIVERY OF THE DAY. THIS LOAD CONTAINED 350 LBS OF GROCERIES. EACH FLIGHT LEG TAKES APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES; THEREFORE THE PILOT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, ALL IN THE SAME AIRCRAFT. DUTY DAY WAS WITHIN 135 REQUIREMENTS. ON THIS APPROACH, EYE WITNESSES STATED THE AIRCRAFT BANKED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT JUST BEFORE THE AIRPORT AND IMPACTED TREES AND UTILITY LINES TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRPORT. IT WAS STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD INCREASED POWER SIGNIFICANTLY. THERE WAS ALSO MENTION OF A SUDDEN INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEVERAL DUST DEVILS WERE SIGHTED. A LOCAL EMT MADE IT TO THE SCENE MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND DETERMINED THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. IN CHECKING LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUOYS, IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS FRONTAL PASSAGE AT OR NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WINDS WITHIN ONE HALF HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WERE NNW AT 24G27, WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.94 AND A DEW POINT OF 46F. WEATHER WITHIN ½ HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT WAS WINDS FROM NW @ 30G37 WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.97 AND A DEW POINT OF 42.4.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.