Piper PA-11 accident near Brewer, Maine, April 2, 1986
On April 2, 1986 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-11, registered N5082H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brewer, Maine (Brewer airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1986 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brewer, Maine · Brewer
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N5082H · registry record · serial 11-981
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD BEEN USING AUTO GAS IN THIS ACFT, HOWEVER, HE EXPERIENCED WATER CONTAMINATION PROBLEMS AND DISCONTINUED ITS USE. HE THEN FOUND HIMSELF AT AN ARPT NEEDING FUEL. THE ARPT ONLY HAD AUTO GAS AVAILABLE SO THE PLT REFUELED THE ACFT WITH AUTO GAS. WHILE MAKING A TOUCH AND GO AT BREWER ARPT HE EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL POWER LOSS ON CLIMBOUT AT 700-800 FT AGL. HE DECIDED TO LAND ON AN UNOPENED SECTION OF HIGHWAY. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN HE NOTICED A SET OF POWER LINES IN HIS PATH. HE DOVE TO PASS UNDER THE POWER LINES AND STRUCK THE ROAD HARD ENOUGH TO BOUNCE BACK INTO THE AIR. HE THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT WHICH DESCENDED TO THE LEFT. THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER ON TOUCHDOWN.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 606 hours in all; 456 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 7, 1985; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 1,800 ft by 6 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 pm from BGR, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.