Avid AVID MAGNUM N2137G

Summary

On 6 September 2018 at about 14:50 local time, a Avid AVID MAGNUM registered N2137G was involved in an accident near Carrabassett Valley, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 September 2018 at 14:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Carrabassett Valley, Maine, United States

Coordinates

45.1333, -70.3333

Aircraft

Avid AVID MAGNUM

Registration

N2137G

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rangeley → Greenville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA538

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to initiate the flight in marginal visual flight rules over mountainous terrain, which resulted in an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological and downdraft conditions and the subsequent controlled flight into trees and terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after the sky cleared, he departed the airport following another airplane as a flight of two. During the flight, they approached a ridge with no significant turbulence or issues. He added that they were suddenly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and the lead airplane disappeared. He immediately changed course 10° to the left, and as he transitioned to instrument flying, the airplane encountered a downdraft. Shortly thereafter, the windscreen "filled with trees," which he estimated were less than a 100 ft away. He pitched the nose up to dissipate energy, and the airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest official weather reporting station, which was 16 miles southwest of the accident site, reported, about the time of the accident, 10 miles visibility, temperature 70°F, dew point 66°F, a broken layer at 2,700 ft, a second broken layer at 3,200 ft, and an overcast layer at 4,100 ft. Although these were marginal visual flight rules conditions, given the mountainous terrain, the pilot should have expected that the mountain peaks may become obscured, and with a 4° temperature/dew point spread that visibility conditions could change rapidly. The pilot recommended that he should have flown his original flight plan, which was at a lower altitude so that he could have avoided unexpected and unpredicted winds and entering IMC.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.