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| Date: | Tuesday 22 August 2023 |
| Time: | 17:40 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft C99 Commuter |
| Owner/operator: | UAS Transervices Inc, opb. Wiggins Airways |
| Registration: | N55RP |
| MSN: | U-198 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Litchfield, ME -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Auburn Airport, ME (LEW/KLEW) |
| Auburn Airport, ME (LEW/KLEW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On August 22, 2023, about 1740 eastern daylight time, a Beech C-99 airplane, N55RP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Litchfield, Maine. The commercial pilotunder-instruction and a flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
Initial Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the airplane departed Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport (LEW), Auburn, Maine, about 1708. The airplane proceeded to the southwest and flew the ILS or LOC Runway 4 approach to LEW. The airplane performed a missed approach and proceeded to the northeast, toward the MOYER missed approach fix, where it entered a left holding pattern at 3,000 ft msl. While completing the first turn of the holding pattern, the airplane entered a steep descent and subsequently impacted terrain.
A witness, who was a certificated pilot, reported that he was working on a project in his driveway when he observed an airplane at an altitude about 3,000 to 4,000 ft heading north. He recognized the airplane as a “Beech 99.” The engines sounded “very smooth.” He watched the airplane proceed over his house and looked away for a few seconds. When he looked up again, the airplane was in a “steep dive” and heading towards Oak Hill. From that moment on, he did not see the airplane alter its course or attitude. As it descended, the wings remained level and the engines still sounded smooth. The airplane disappeared behind trees, and he then heard a “loud boom.”
The airplane crashed on private property. The accident site consisted of partially cleared timber with most of the wreckage in dense forest. The points of initial impact were the tops of several 50 ft-tall oak trees at coordinates 44.16407, -70.00038. The airplane then impacted soft soil about 140 ft east of the first tree strikes. Based on the impact and trees strikes, the airplane’s descent angle was about 20° and the bank angle was about 10° right wing low. The wreckage path heading was about 095° magnetic. The airframe was heavily fragmented. There was no fire. The entire wreckage path was about 424 ft long and about 100 ft wide.
The flight was operated by Wiggins Airways. The pilot in the left seat was recently hired and was undergoing initial training. His total logged flight time was about 1,302 hours. The accident flight was his third training flight with Wiggins. The flight instructor in the right seat had been employed by Wiggins for several years. He reported 14,700 hours total flight time on his most recent Federal Aviation Administration second class medical certificate application, dated September 19, 2022.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.centralmaine.com/2023/08/22/officials-rush-to-locate-plane-crash-in-litchfield/
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/public-safety/plane-crash-litchfield-report/97-d7ca6223-36cd-45f3-b768-1d52cce19c71
https://www.wmtw.com/article/multiple-agencies-responding-plane-crash-litchfield/44882612
https://www.wmur.com/article/maine-fatal-plane-crash-manchester-nh-pilots/44892223
NTSB
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N55RP/history/20230822/2130Z/KLEW/ME6
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a6fe97&lat=44.153&lon=-70.036&zoom=13.1&showTrace=2023-08-22&leg=3
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n55rp#31b52079
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/6/92883_1673641268.jpg (photo)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 19 January 1983 | N64002 | Wings West Airlines, Inc. | San Francisco, CA | |
min |
Location
Images:
Media:
NTSB is investigating the crash of a Beech C-99 airplane near Litchfield, Maine.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 23, 2023
According to @FAANews, a twin-engine Beechcraft BE99 crashed in a field in Litchfield around 5:45 p.m. Only the pilot was on board. Multiple people in the area tell us they heard a plane flying low and then a loud explosion. @NEWSCENTERmaine
— Zach Blanchard (@ZachBlanchard) August 22, 2023
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Aug-2023 06:40 | nhofmann54 | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2023 06:44 | harro | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2023 08:53 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2023 09:33 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2023 13:52 | Iceman 29 | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2023 14:55 | johnwg | Updated |
| 24-Aug-2023 05:24 | Anon. | Updated |
| 24-Aug-2023 11:24 | msherman622 | Updated |
| 25-Aug-2023 05:41 | Anon. | Updated |
| 25-Aug-2023 15:17 | Anon. | Updated |
| 08-Sep-2023 16:09 | Captain Adam | Updated |
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