Piper PA-22-108 accident near Monmouth, Maine, August 18, 2011
On August 18, 2011 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N5048Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monmouth, Maine. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Operation of the airplane by a non-certificated pilot and his failure to maintain airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2011 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monmouth, Maine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N5048Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-8672
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness stated that he was mowing his grass when an airplane crashed in his front yard. The pilot exited the airplane and instructed him not to notify the police. The pilot left the scene and returned a short time later with another individual and a forklift. The airplane was removed from the residence and taken to a storage facility without authorization from law enforcement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or the NTSB. FAA inspectors were unable to locate the wreckage for inspection. Review of FAA records showed that the registration had been canceled by the previous owner and transferred to the new owner. According to the police report and the witness report, the person flying the airplane at the time of the accident was the new owner of the airplane. Review of FAA records revealed no pilot certification for the operator of the accident airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Other/unknown
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › (general) › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Monmouth ME
- Destination: Monmouth ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from PWM, 59 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.