- Date
- July 15, 1987, 20:10 local (Jul 16, 1987, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Spencer Lake, ME
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4202MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870715034799A
- Case key
- 30696
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 flight originated at Spencer Lake and flew north then south to baker lake. South of hedgehog mountain the flight encountered downdrafts and a loss of altitude at 500-600 feet per minute. Upon turning right to return to Spencer Lake the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The aircraft crashed into trees and came to rest with the floats on the ground. Fuel leaked into the engine compartment and a fire erupted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4202M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-3096
- Airframe hours
- 3,253
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stephen C. Coleman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1987 · 23 hours before
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 908 total · 374 in this make and model · 836 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.