What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Dra event id: 982133, Fryeburg, ME: privacy data omitted, cruz, crashed into trees near 114 porter road for unknown reason. POB: 1,
Injuries: fatal, damage: substantial. 09/04/2025 1820Z.
On September 04, 2024, at or around 1420 local time, a light sport aircraft (LSA) Sportcruiser privacy data omitted impacted the ground under unknown circumstances in Fryeburg, Maine. There was one person onboard the aircraft. This is a fatality accident. Aircraft was en route to moultonborough airport (4MB), moultonborough, NH. Preliminary ADS-B data showed the airplane departed runway 14 at izg then made a climbing
Left turn to a maximum altitude of about 2,100 ft mean sea level (MSL) on a flight track of about 300°. Two minutes and 26 seconds after the first ADS-B target the airplane stopped climbing at 2,100 ft MSL on a flight track of about 210°, and 5 seconds later began about a 500 ft/min descent. About 15 seconds later the airplane began a left turning descent which continued until the ADS-B data ended. The final data point reported the airplane at an altitude about 1,700 ft MSL on a flight track of 025° with a descent rate of about 1,300 ft/min. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing a “loud pop” sound, which made them look up, and observe the airplane “in a dive” with the ballistic parachute recovery system partially deployed. Preliminary post accident examination of the engine showed no rotational signatures. That would indicate that the engine was not running on impact. The airplane was equipped with avionics capable of recording and retaining flight and engine
Data. These units were removed and sent to the national transportation safety board vehicle recorders laboratory for data extraction. The aircraft was transferred to a secure location for further examination. A Rotax engine expert will be examining the engine on 10/07/2025. FAA iic will attend. This report will be amended to include results examinations performed.
As the FAA filed it
DRA EVENT ID: 982133, FRYEBURG, ME: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CRUZ, CRASHED INTO TREES NEAR 114 PORTER ROAD FOR UNKNOWN REASON. POB: 1,
INJURIES: FATAL, DAMAGE: SUBSTANTIAL. 09/04/2025 1820Z.
ON SEPTEMBER 04, 2024, AT OR AROUND 1420 LOCAL TIME, A LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT (LSA) SPORTCRUISER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMPACTED THE GROUND UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN FRYEBURG, MAINE. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THIS IS A FATALITY ACCIDENT. AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE TO MOULTONBOROUGH AIRPORT (4MB), MOULTONBOROUGH, NH. PRELIMINARY ADS-B DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED RUNWAY 14 AT IZG THEN MADE A CLIMBING
LEFT TURN TO A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 2,100 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) ON A FLIGHT TRACK OF ABOUT 300°. TWO MINUTES AND 26 SECONDS AFTER THE FIRST ADS-B TARGET THE AIRPLANE STOPPED CLIMBING AT 2,100 FT MSL ON A FLIGHT TRACK OF ABOUT 210°, AND 5 SECONDS LATER BEGAN ABOUT A 500 FT/MIN DESCENT. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A LEFT TURNING DESCENT WHICH CONTINUED UNTIL THE ADS-B DATA ENDED. THE FINAL DATA POINT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE AT AN ALTITUDE ABOUT 1,700 FT MSL ON A FLIGHT TRACK OF 025° WITH A DESCENT RATE OF ABOUT 1,300 FT/MIN. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED HEARING A “LOUD POP” SOUND, WHICH MADE THEM LOOK UP, AND OBSERVE THE AIRPLANE “IN A DIVE” WITH THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE RECOVERY SYSTEM PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. PRELIMINARY POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED NO ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES. THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING ON IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AVIONICS CAPABLE OF RECORDING AND RETAINING FLIGHT AND ENGINE
DATA. THESE UNITS WERE REMOVED AND SENT TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD VEHICLE RECORDERS LABORATORY FOR DATA EXTRACTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSFERRED TO A SECURE LOCATION FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. A ROTAX ENGINE EXPERT WILL BE EXAMINING THE ENGINE ON 10/07/2025. FAA IIC WILL ATTEND. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE RESULTS EXAMINATIONS PERFORMED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.