Piper PA-18-150 accident near Glenburn, Maine, November 24, 1994
On November 24, 1994 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N112KF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glenburn, Maine (Lucky Landing airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's (1) improper decision to initiate a takeoff with ice on the wing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 1994 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Glenburn, Maine · Lucky Landing
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N112KF · registry record · serial 18-7809134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING PRELIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED ICE ON THE RIGHT WING. HE SAID THE LEADING EDGE AND FORWARD 18 INCHES OF THE WING WERE CLEAR OF ICE. HE DID NOT REMOVE THE ICE AND INITIATED A TAKEOFF. THE RIGHT WING WOULD NOT COME UP WITH FULL LEFT AILERON AND THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT DID NOT ABORT THE TAKEOFF UNTIL AFTER THE AIRPLANE HAD DRIFTED RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND THE THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A POLE. WHEN THE POWER WAS RETARDED THE AIRPLANE SETTLED INTO BIRCH TREES AND A RASPBERRY BOG.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 524 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,196 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 1994; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 4:00 pm
- Destination: PQI Presque Isle ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 25 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC95LA037.