Piper PA-46-350 accident near Sanford, Maine, August 28, 1992
On August 28, 1992 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350, registered N350PM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sanford, Maine (Sanford Municapal airport). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT DID NOT FOLLOW IFR PROCEDURES WHEN HE DISREGARDED THE DECISION HEIGHT LIMITATION AND FAILED TO INITIATE A MISSED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE STRIKING TREES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1992 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Maine · Sanford Municapal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350 · all PA-46-350s on the register
- Registration
- N350PM · registry record · serial 4622052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE SECOND ATTEMPTED ILS APPROACH THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT HAVE THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT BUT, '...CONTINUED AT D.H. [SIC] FOR A FEW MOMENTS...' AND THEN SAW THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RUNWAY REMAINING TO LAND AND '...[THE PILOT] WOULD ATTEMPT TO CIRCLE AT DECISION HEIGHT AND RE-INTERCEPT THE GLIDESLOPE. DURING THIS ILL-CONCEIVED MANEUVER I ENCOUNTERED ONE OR MORE PINE TREES...' AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY THE PILOT WAS VECTORED TO AN AIRPORT 24 MINUTES AWAY. THE PILOT DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS ON THE FLIGHT TO THE ALTERNATE AIRPORT AS, '...A CONTROL CONDITION SIMILAR TO AN ENGINE OUT IN A MULTI-ENGINE AIRPLANE.' AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A MEDIAN BETWEEN A RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 704 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 624 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 620 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 14, 1992; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N52 Sommerset NJ at 12:35 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 am from SFM
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.