- Date
- August 14, 1988, 21:05 local (Aug 15, 1988, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Island Falls, ME
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1183MCessna 172K
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880814036399A
- Case key
- 36012
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's poor in-inflight decisions and planning and failed to follow ATC directives to maintain VFR. The pilot continued VFR into IFR conditions and collided with hilly terrain.
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 non-instrument rated private pilot flew into IMC conditions and collided with wooded terrain during a pleasure flight. Post accident examination failed to reveal any preimpact mechanical failures/malfunctions. The pilot had contacted the bangor afss while en route and stated he was having trouble maintain VFR flight. The afss could not establish a df steer on the airplane and the pilot was advised to contact boston center. Center did establish radar contact. Vectors and minimum safe altitudes were issued for a route to houlton. While en route to houlton, the pilot reported that he was disoriented and shortly thereafter, the airplane disappeared off radar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1183M
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258683
- Airframe hours
- 2,571
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cyr Qwik Stop, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Cyr Qwik Stop, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 22, 1988 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- Saint Leonard
- Destination
- Bangor, 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 48 total · 24 in this make and model · 27 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HUL, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.