Witness: Weather Conditions Were “Brutal” And That He Could Barely See The Airplane At 100 Yards Away Due To The Thick Fog

Location: Trenton, ME Accident Number: ERA24FA323
Date & Time: July 25, 2024, 12:25 Local Registration: N990PT
Aircraft: Cirrus Design Corp SR22 Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On July 25, 2024, about 1225 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp SR22, N990PT, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Trenton, Maine. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to preliminary air traffic control information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight departed Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), Morristown, New Jersey, at 1016 destined for Hancock County / Bar Harbor Airport (BHB), Bar Harbor, Maine. A witness, who was working on the runway lighting at the BHB, stated he was repairing some landing lights when he heard an airplane approaching for landing. He heard the airplane’s engine noise go to full power and when he looked up at the airplane, he noticed that it was in a sharp left turn before it descended to ground impact. He further described that the weather conditions were “brutal” and that he could barely see the airplane at 100 yards away due to the thick fog.

Video recorded from a moving car showed the airplane appearing from heavy fog about 40ft above the approach end of runway 22 in a steep, descending turn to the left before impacting the ground. The recorded weather conditions at BHB, at 1156, included a visibility of 1.5 miles in light rain and mist, and overcast ceiling at 300 ft. 

The wreckage was located about 600 ft to the left side of the approach end of runway 22. The airplane came to rest in a wooded area, and was oriented on a magnetic heading of 040°. The airframe was largely consumed by a postimpact fire. All major components of the airplane were accounted for within the compact wreckage area.
The engine was thermally damaged. The fuel pump was removed, and the shaft was intact but stiff to rotate due to thermal damage. The fuel flow divider was intact, but the diaphragm was destroyed by fire. The fuel injectors were thermally damaged, and injectors Nos. 1 and 5 contained some obstructions. The magnetos were thermally damaged, and when the magneto input drives were rotated by hand, no spark was produced on any leads. The top spark plugs were removed. All of the spark plugs were clean and clear of debris. The engine’s crankshaft was rotated by turning the propeller by hand. The crankshaft rotated smoothly, and compression was observed on all cylinders but No. 3. That cylinder was impact damaged and the rocker arm covers were crushed into the push rods.

A remote data module and multi-function display were recovered and retained for further examination. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov