Paiement RANS S-12 N7011Y

Summary

On 24 September 2002 at about 19:00 local time, a Paiement RANS S-12 registered N7011Y was involved in an accident near Mercer, Maine, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 September 2002 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mercer, Maine, United States

Coordinates

44.6750, -69.9636

Aircraft

Paiement RANS S-12

Registration

N7011Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Norridgewock → Farmington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC02LA195

1 person died.

The pilot's improper in-flight decision, and failure to maintain adequate clearance, which resulted in a collision with a wire during a low altitude flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident pilot was accompanied by a friend, who was flying a second airplane. After takeoff, they flew along a river and landed at another airport. The pilot's friend said he flew about 500 feet above the ground in the vicinity of the river, while the accident pilot was "flying literally on the river." They then departed the airport and flew back over the river. The pilot's friend lost sight of the accident pilot and later observed the accident airplane suspended in a cable over the river. The airplane struck the middle of, and became entangled in a United States Geological Survey cable, which was about 20 to 25 feet above the river and about 3 miles west-southwest of the departure airport. The pilot's friend said that the accident pilot was aware of the cable because they had talked about it during a previous flight along the river. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. The pilot had purchased the homebuilt airplane about two months prior to the accident. A check of the Federal Aviation Administration Airman database for the accident pilot did not reveal any pilot or medical certificate information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.