What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 13th, 2025, privacy data omitted a TBM-700 departed the new bedford airport (ewb) on an IFR flight plan to kenosha airport (enw). The aircraft was destroyed after impacting a wooded area adjacent to I-195 at exit 19B. The wings and tail separated from the aircraft creating a debris field in the forest. The fuselage came to a rest in the median approximately 280’ from initial impact. The forward baggage door was open and on fire after the aircraft came to a rest. A part that appears to be consistent with a static port plug with a “remove before flight” flag attached was located in the debris field.
Shortly after liftoff the pilot requested a return to the ewb airport. After a brief exchange with the tower the pilot determined that no assistance was being requested, and they would not conduct an instrument approach but return in visual conditions. The ceiling was reported as approximately 1,000’ by the tower and the current surface observation at the time indicated 2 1/2SM -ra br BKN009. The pilot can be heard breathing heavily shortly after liftoff. Just prior to loss of communication the ewb tower issued a low altitude alert. The pilot responds with the current altimeter followed by a pause then several mic clicks with a higher pitched voice heard in the background followed by a loud grunting noise before communication is terminated.
Video evidence of the aircraft during taxi revealed that there were two flags visible on the aircraft fuselage consistent with the location of the static ports. The flags were not removed prior to departure. The forward baggage door was observed being secured by an FBO employee prior to departure. That door was reported as operating normally.
Flight data obtained from garmin avionics indicated a negative barometric altitude trend during the takeoff roll reaching a minimum of -108’ and -208’ for the altb and altpress data fields respectively. As the aircraft GPS altitude (altgps and altmsl fields) began to increase both barometric fields also began to increase. The rate of change of the barometric data fields was initially much larger than the GPS fields. The rate of change of the barometric data values from liftoff to maximum altitude was significantly higher than the rate of change of the GPS altitude from liftoff to maximum altitude. The altb and altmsl fields appeared to follow the same trend lines and the altgps and altpress fields appeared to follow the same trend lines. The maximum difference between the barometric and GPS altitudes occurred just after liftoff and was approximately 218'. After reaching the maximum altitude the barometric and GPS altitudes remained within approximately 30' of each other.
The last reported altitudes by the garmin are 627’ (GPS, altmsl) and 589’ (barometric, altb). The impact location was approximately 1,500’ from the last data point. The average descent angle would exceed 20O or over 2,000’/NM. The IAS was 63KIAS with a ground speed of 97KTS on a heading of 261 degrees winds forecast at the time were 35KTS from the north east, surface winds reported at the time of the accident were 040@19G28KT. The vso at maximum landing weight in the landing configuration is 65KIAS. AFM section 5.5 lists the stall speed with the gear down, flaps ldg and power flight idle as 61KIAS at 0 degrees bank and 66KIAS at 30 degrees of bank. The aircraft bank angle had changed approximately 35 degrees in the preceding 3 seconds from 17 degrees right to almost 18 degrees left bank. The pitch attitude was between 10-14 degrees nose up. Engine power indicated 37% power at 2000RPM. The itt, fuel flow, oil temp, oil pressure, engine torque, np and ng were all in the normal operating range. The debris path was indicative of an impact at a moderate angle.
Aircraft and pilot records indicate that both were in compliance with regulations at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 13TH, 2025, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A TBM-700 DEPARTED THE NEW BEDFORD AIRPORT (EWB) ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO KENOSHA AIRPORT (ENW). THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING A WOODED AREA ADJACENT TO I-195 AT EXIT 19B. THE WINGS AND TAIL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT CREATING A DEBRIS FIELD IN THE FOREST. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO A REST IN THE MEDIAN APPROXIMATELY 280’ FROM INITIAL IMPACT. THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR WAS OPEN AND ON FIRE AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST. A PART THAT APPEARS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A STATIC PORT PLUG WITH A “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT” FLAG ATTACHED WAS LOCATED IN THE DEBRIS FIELD.
SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF THE PILOT REQUESTED A RETURN TO THE EWB AIRPORT. AFTER A BRIEF EXCHANGE WITH THE TOWER THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT NO ASSISTANCE WAS BEING REQUESTED, AND THEY WOULD NOT CONDUCT AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH BUT RETURN IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE CEILING WAS REPORTED AS APPROXIMATELY 1,000’ BY THE TOWER AND THE CURRENT SURFACE OBSERVATION AT THE TIME INDICATED 2 1/2SM -RA BR BKN009. THE PILOT CAN BE HEARD BREATHING HEAVILY SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF. JUST PRIOR TO LOSS OF COMMUNICATION THE EWB TOWER ISSUED A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT. THE PILOT RESPONDS WITH THE CURRENT ALTIMETER FOLLOWED BY A PAUSE THEN SEVERAL MIC CLICKS WITH A HIGHER PITCHED VOICE HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND FOLLOWED BY A LOUD GRUNTING NOISE BEFORE COMMUNICATION IS TERMINATED.
VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING TAXI REVEALED THAT THERE WERE TWO FLAGS VISIBLE ON THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE CONSISTENT WITH THE LOCATION OF THE STATIC PORTS. THE FLAGS WERE NOT REMOVED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR WAS OBSERVED BEING SECURED BY AN FBO EMPLOYEE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THAT DOOR WAS REPORTED AS OPERATING NORMALLY.
FLIGHT DATA OBTAINED FROM GARMIN AVIONICS INDICATED A NEGATIVE BAROMETRIC ALTITUDE TREND DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL REACHING A MINIMUM OF -108’ AND -208’ FOR THE ALTB AND ALTPRESS DATA FIELDS RESPECTIVELY. AS THE AIRCRAFT GPS ALTITUDE (ALTGPS AND ALTMSL FIELDS) BEGAN TO INCREASE BOTH BAROMETRIC FIELDS ALSO BEGAN TO INCREASE. THE RATE OF CHANGE OF THE BAROMETRIC DATA FIELDS WAS INITIALLY MUCH LARGER THAN THE GPS FIELDS. THE RATE OF CHANGE OF THE BAROMETRIC DATA VALUES FROM LIFTOFF TO MAXIMUM ALTITUDE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE RATE OF CHANGE OF THE GPS ALTITUDE FROM LIFTOFF TO MAXIMUM ALTITUDE. THE ALTB AND ALTMSL FIELDS APPEARED TO FOLLOW THE SAME TREND LINES AND THE ALTGPS AND ALTPRESS FIELDS APPEARED TO FOLLOW THE SAME TREND LINES. THE MAXIMUM DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BAROMETRIC AND GPS ALTITUDES OCCURRED JUST AFTER LIFTOFF AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 218'. AFTER REACHING THE MAXIMUM ALTITUDE THE BAROMETRIC AND GPS ALTITUDES REMAINED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 30' OF EACH OTHER.
THE LAST REPORTED ALTITUDES BY THE GARMIN ARE 627’ (GPS, ALTMSL) AND 589’ (BAROMETRIC, ALTB). THE IMPACT LOCATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500’ FROM THE LAST DATA POINT. THE AVERAGE DESCENT ANGLE WOULD EXCEED 20O OR OVER 2,000’/NM. THE IAS WAS 63KIAS WITH A GROUND SPEED OF 97KTS ON A HEADING OF 261 DEGREES WINDS FORECAST AT THE TIME WERE 35KTS FROM THE NORTH EAST, SURFACE WINDS REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE 040@19G28KT. THE VSO AT MAXIMUM LANDING WEIGHT IN THE LANDING CONFIGURATION IS 65KIAS. AFM SECTION 5.5 LISTS THE STALL SPEED WITH THE GEAR DOWN, FLAPS LDG AND POWER FLIGHT IDLE AS 61KIAS AT 0 DEGREES BANK AND 66KIAS AT 30 DEGREES OF BANK. THE AIRCRAFT BANK ANGLE HAD CHANGED APPROXIMATELY 35 DEGREES IN THE PRECEDING 3 SECONDS FROM 17 DEGREES RIGHT TO ALMOST 18 DEGREES LEFT BANK. THE PITCH ATTITUDE WAS BETWEEN 10-14 DEGREES NOSE UP. ENGINE POWER INDICATED 37% POWER AT 2000RPM. THE ITT, FUEL FLOW, OIL TEMP, OIL PRESSURE, ENGINE TORQUE, NP AND NG WERE ALL IN THE NORMAL OPERATING RANGE. THE DEBRIS PATH WAS INDICATIVE OF AN IMPACT AT A MODERATE ANGLE.
AIRCRAFT AND PILOT RECORDS INDICATE THAT BOTH WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.