Piper PA-22 accident near Auburn, Maine, January 16, 1996
On January 16, 1996 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N913A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, Maine (Auburn-Lewiston Muni 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 visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper planning/decision and failure to attain proper alignment with the landing area. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, and the inoperative radio transmitter, which precluded the pilot from activating the runway lights.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1996 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Maine · Auburn-Lewiston Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N913A · registry record · serial 22-219
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After departing without a weather briefing, the pilot contacted flight service for an en route briefing. Due to stronger-than-planned-for headwinds and deviations around snow showers, he arrived at his destination with insufficient fuel to fly to an alternate airport. The pilot believed that the deteriorating weather precluded further flight. He was unable to activate the runway lights with either the airplane radio or a hand held backup radio. The pilot aligned the airplane with two sets of obstruction lights, which he thought were the approach and departure ends of runway 22. The far set of lights was in-fact at an obstruction located to the left of the departure end of runway 22. After touchdown at an angle to the runway, the airplane struck a snowbank. It then rolled onto the right wing and came to rest on its nose. The FAA reported that the airplane radio had a loose connection, and the hand-held radio lacked sufficient power to activate the runway lights.
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: 1,633 hours in all; 822 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,590 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 29, 1995; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PQI Presque Isle ME at 6:30 pm
- Destination: LEW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:14 pm from LEW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC96LA051.