Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT, AND THE SUBSEQUENT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGIAL CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On Tuesday, August 10, 1993, at 2050 eastern daylight time, an Aircoupe 415D, CFJUB, registered in Canada to and piloted by Paul Winterhalder, sustained substantial damage when it collided with the terrain near Rockland, Maine. The pilot received minor injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot was attempting to land at the Knox County Regional Airport, Rockland, Maine. When he flew over the airport, the runways were obscured by fog. He said that he saw a field and began to maneuver over it in an attempt to find the runway. While maneuvering at low altitude, the airplane inadvertently contacted the terrain.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC93LA150