What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/16/2012, at approximately 16:45 local time (EST / shortly after sunset), a Cessna 172N, N6142F was about to take-off from runway 31 (5000 x 100 ashphalt), at knox county regional airport (rkd) in Rockland, Maine. The destination was bgr, with one private pilot and two passengers onboard. At the same time, a white pickup, owned and operated by a local pilot, departed the penobscot island air parking lot to drive over to the hangars on the south east quadrant of the airport. According to the pickup driver, he drove south on taxiway alpha, passed taxiway delta and stopped at the hold short line just north of runway 31 (the intersection is approximately 1100 feet from the approach end of 31). He looked both ways for traffic on approach or on the runway, but saw nothing other than the runway lights in either direction. He then announced on the portable handheld radio (ctaf/unicom), "vehicle at alpha crossing 31-13 to charlie". There was no response, so he drove forward to cross the runway. He immediately saw "a blur of an object go by" in front of him, striking the front of his truck. He continued across the runway and stopped in the grass where he got out and observed the aircraft gradually climbing along the runway heading. It slowly drifted to the left, still climbing and began to wobble. The aircraft looked like it was in slow flight, turning to the left, possibly for runway 3. At approximately 150-200 feet altitude it appeared to stall and spin into the woods in an almost vertical dive. The aircraft struck a tree as it impacted in a relatively clear area in the woods, to the west of the approach end of runway 3. The aircraft immediately caught fire which engulfed and destroyed most of the aircraft. The damaged right elevator had separated from the aircraft at the collision site and was found on the runway. All three of the aircraft occupants perished in the crash. Left front seat - pilot: william j hannigan iiiright front seat - passenger: david cheneyrear seat - passenger: marcelo ruginithe pickup driver was not injured. Pickup driver and owner:privacy data omitted1994 white gmc sonoma Maine license plate privacy data omittedthe damage on the pickup shows it was struck at the top of the left front bumper just forward of the left front tire, (that impact damage is 26 inches above ground level). Both headlights and the pickup grill were also destroyed. The privately owned pickup was not equipped with any stobe, flashing or rotating warning light.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/16/2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 16:45 LOCAL TIME (EST / SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET), A CESSNA 172N, N6142F WAS ABOUT TO TAKE-OFF FROM RUNWAY 31 (5000 X 100 ASHPHALT), AT KNOX COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (RKD) IN ROCKLAND, MAINE. THE DESTINATION WAS BGR, WITH ONE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. AT THE SAME TIME, A WHITE PICKUP, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A LOCAL PILOT, DEPARTED THE PENOBSCOT ISLAND AIR PARKING LOT TO DRIVE OVER TO THE HANGARS ON THE SOUTH EAST QUADRANT OF THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PICKUP DRIVER, HE DROVE SOUTH ON TAXIWAY ALPHA, PASSED TAXIWAY DELTA AND STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE JUST NORTH OF RUNWAY 31 (THE INTERSECTION IS APPROXIMATELY 1100 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF 31). HE LOOKED BOTH WAYS FOR TRAFFIC ON APPROACH OR ON THE RUNWAY, BUT SAW NOTHING OTHER THAN THE RUNWAY LIGHTS IN EITHER DIRECTION. HE THEN ANNOUNCED ON THE PORTABLE HANDHELD RADIO (CTAF/UNICOM), "VEHICLE AT ALPHA CROSSING 31-13 TO CHARLIE". THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, SO HE DROVE FORWARD TO CROSS THE RUNWAY. HE IMMEDIATELY SAW "A BLUR OF AN OBJECT GO BY" IN FRONT OF HIM, STRIKING THE FRONT OF HIS TRUCK. HE CONTINUED ACROSS THE RUNWAY AND STOPPED IN THE GRASS WHERE HE GOT OUT AND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT GRADUALLY CLIMBING ALONG THE RUNWAY HEADING. IT SLOWLY DRIFTED TO THE LEFT, STILL CLIMBING AND BEGAN TO WOBBLE. THE AIRCRAFT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS IN SLOW FLIGHT, TURNING TO THE LEFT, POSSIBLY FOR RUNWAY 3. AT APPROXIMATELY 150-200 FEET ALTITUDE IT APPEARED TO STALL AND SPIN INTO THE WOODS IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL DIVE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE AS IT IMPACTED IN A RELATIVELY CLEAR AREA IN THE WOODS, TO THE WEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 3. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT FIRE WHICH ENGULFED AND DESTROYED MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE DAMAGED RIGHT ELEVATOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THE COLLISION SITE AND WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY.ALL THREE OF THE AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS PERISHED IN THE CRASH.LEFT FRONT SEAT - PILOT: WILLIAM J HANNIGAN IIIRIGHT FRONT SEAT - PASSENGER: DAVID CHENEYREAR SEAT - PASSENGER: MARCELO RUGINITHE PICKUP DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED.PICKUP DRIVER AND OWNER:^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^1994 WHITE GMC SONOMA MAINE LICENSE PLATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^THE DAMAGE ON THE PICKUP SHOWS IT WAS STRUCK AT THE TOP OF THE LEFT FRONT BUMPER JUST FORWARD OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE, (THAT IMPACT DAMAGE IS 26 INCHES ABOVE GROUND LEVEL). BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND THE PICKUP GRILL WERE ALSO DESTROYED. THE PRIVATELY OWNED PICKUP WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ANY STOBE, FLASHING OR ROTATING WARNING LIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.