- Date
- July 31, 1982, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hamlin, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1344MBoeing PT-17
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820731033659A
- Case key
- 70945
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot departed a private strip with 150 gallons of water mixed with fungicide and insecticide. After takeoff, he turned and began climbing over rising terrain. The terrain sloped upward from a river, rising about 400 ft. the pilot reported that he failed to out-climb the terrain. The aircraft settled in a potatoe field near the top of the ridge and overturned. Reportedly, the load was not jettisoned before impact. The temperature and elevation were about 85 degrees and 650 ft, respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1344M
- Reported as
- Boeing PT-17
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 758325
- Airframe hours
- 8,081
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 137
- Operator
- Keith Mcdonald
- Registered owner
- Keith Mcdonald
- Departed
- Hamlin, ME
- Destination
- Hamlin, ME
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 768 total · 150 in this make and model · 686 as pilot in command · 94 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 185 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.