What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
NTSB accident number GAA18CA538 with NTSB iic eric swenson 1-907-782-4847
On Thursday September 6, 2018 at approximately 1050 am privacy data omitted privacy data omitted the pilot in command (PIC) of N2137G flew into the trees on the bigelow mountain preserve. The PIC holds a commercial pilot certificate with extensive military aircraft experience. The area is across the valley from sugar loaf ski resort and sugar loaf regional airport (B21). There were no injuries to privacy data omitted or his passenger privacy data omitted. The aircraft, a Morstad Andrew Ted Avid Magnum amphibious experimental, was destroyed by the impact with no fire at the site. The PIC reported no mechanical issue with N2137G during the flight. The PIC also tried mayday mayday with no response. He had departed rangeley seaplane base (M57) after his overnight and taking on fuel for his flight to greenville me. Weather had delayed his departure but it was good VFR when he departed M57 in formation with another aircraft. The weather was VFR and due to the rainy weather that had passed thru the area earlier in the day the uplifting winds had caused the scud clouds at the top.
The pilot stated he was flying with another aircraft, in formation, when he inadvertently entered scud clouds near the top of the mountain with strong downdrafts. His VFR flight instantly changed to IFR and when he came out of the clouds, seconds later, he saw the trees in front of him. He immediately pulled the nose up so the floats could go into the trees first, while hoping this would cushion the impact. He and his passenger climbed out of the aircraft and removed their belongings while privacy data omitted went to find the appalachian trail (at) located a short distance away. The pilot then contacted 911 and gave them his information along with the GPS coordinates. They hiked down from the mountain along the at until they reached rescue personnel looking for them. It was about a 4.5 mile hike to the trail head. The Maine wardens and Maine state troopers had launched a Maine forest service huey to the site but were unable to land due to the dense forest and very unpredictable winds coming over the mountain ridge. The Maine forest service pilot reported many strong changing winds, strengths and directions, as well as buffeting of the helicopter as the reason they aborted the rescue flight. Two search planes also reported turbulence and downdrafts in the area of the ELT and GPS coordinates ? Both left the area.
The PIC and his passenger gave statements to the Maine state troopers and required no medical treatment. I have spoken with privacy data omitted several times via emails and phone calls concerning this accident. I have always found him to be compliant with my requests for information and concerned that he allowed the conditions to contribute to the accidents. He stated I am embarrassed to say ?I? Flew a perfectly good aircraft into the trees. The way he entered the trees, floats first, probably saved his and his wife?s lives. He is currently a FAA wings participant.
As the FAA filed it
NTSB ACCIDENT NUMBER GAA18CA538 WITH NTSB IIC ERIC SWENSON 1-907-782-4847
ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1050 AM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF N2137G FLEW INTO THE TREES ON THE BIGELOW MOUNTAIN PRESERVE. THE PIC HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH EXTENSIVE MILITARY AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCE. THE AREA IS ACROSS THE VALLEY FROM SUGAR LOAF SKI RESORT AND SUGAR LOAF REGIONAL AIRPORT (B21). THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OR HIS PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT, A MORSTAD ANDREW TED AVID MAGNUM AMPHIBIOUS EXPERIMENTAL, WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT WITH NO FIRE AT THE SITE. THE PIC REPORTED NO MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH N2137G DURING THE FLIGHT. THE PIC ALSO TRIED MAYDAY MAYDAY WITH NO RESPONSE. HE HAD DEPARTED RANGELEY SEAPLANE BASE (M57) AFTER HIS OVERNIGHT AND TAKING ON FUEL FOR HIS FLIGHT TO GREENVILLE ME. WEATHER HAD DELAYED HIS DEPARTURE BUT IT WAS GOOD VFR WHEN HE DEPARTED M57 IN FORMATION WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND DUE TO THE RAINY WEATHER THAT HAD PASSED THRU THE AREA EARLIER IN THE DAY THE UPLIFTING WINDS HAD CAUSED THE SCUD CLOUDS AT THE TOP.
THE PILOT STATED HE WAS FLYING WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, IN FORMATION, WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED SCUD CLOUDS NEAR THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WITH STRONG DOWNDRAFTS. HIS VFR FLIGHT INSTANTLY CHANGED TO IFR AND WHEN HE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS, SECONDS LATER, HE SAW THE TREES IN FRONT OF HIM. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE NOSE UP SO THE FLOATS COULD GO INTO THE TREES FIRST, WHILE HOPING THIS WOULD CUSHION THE IMPACT. HE AND HIS PASSENGER CLIMBED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND REMOVED THEIR BELONGINGS WHILE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WENT TO FIND THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL (AT) LOCATED A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. THE PILOT THEN CONTACTED 911 AND GAVE THEM HIS INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE GPS COORDINATES. THEY HIKED DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN ALONG THE AT UNTIL THEY REACHED RESCUE PERSONNEL LOOKING FOR THEM. IT WAS ABOUT A 4.5 MILE HIKE TO THE TRAIL HEAD. THE MAINE WARDENS AND MAINE STATE TROOPERS HAD LAUNCHED A MAINE FOREST SERVICE HUEY TO THE SITE BUT WERE UNABLE TO LAND DUE TO THE DENSE FOREST AND VERY UNPREDICTABLE WINDS COMING OVER THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE. THE MAINE FOREST SERVICE PILOT REPORTED MANY STRONG CHANGING WINDS, STRENGTHS AND DIRECTIONS, AS WELL AS BUFFETING OF THE HELICOPTER AS THE REASON THEY ABORTED THE RESCUE FLIGHT. TWO SEARCH PLANES ALSO REPORTED TURBULENCE AND DOWNDRAFTS IN THE AREA OF THE ELT AND GPS COORDINATES ? BOTH LEFT THE AREA.
THE PIC AND HIS PASSENGER GAVE STATEMENTS TO THE MAINE STATE TROOPERS AND REQUIRED NO MEDICAL TREATMENT. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SEVERAL TIMES VIA EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS CONCERNING THIS ACCIDENT. I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND HIM TO BE COMPLIANT WITH MY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AND CONCERNED THAT HE ALLOWED THE CONDITIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACCIDENTS. HE STATED I AM EMBARRASSED TO SAY ?I? FLEW A PERFECTLY GOOD AIRCRAFT INTO THE TREES. THE WAY HE ENTERED THE TREES, FLOATS FIRST, PROBABLY SAVED HIS AND HIS WIFE?S LIVES. HE IS CURRENTLY A FAA WINGS PARTICIPANT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.