Thursday, July 13, 2017

Extra EA-300/L, owned by the pilot and operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, N210MX: Fatal accident occurred July 13, 2017 in Winchester, Cheshire County, New Hampshire

John E. Everson

John was a licensed pilot with almost 3000 hours of flying time. At the time of his death, he was flying his Extra EA-300/L, a two-seat unlimited class aerobatic airplane, in which he had over 1000 hours of flying time. John's fascination with flying began at a very early age due to the influence of his father's service in WWII as a combat fighter ace. At the age of 14, John began flying gliders which began his over 50 year love of flying that culminated in his most recent accomplishment of finishing 1st place in his skill class at a recent aerobatic competition. He is remembered as a man who loved his family, who valued hard work, with an undeniable passion for aviation.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Maine

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 
 
http://registry.faa.gov/N210MX




Location: Winchester, NH
Accident Number: ERA17FA241
Date & Time: 07/13/2017, 1125 EDT
Registration: N210MX
Aircraft: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH EA 300/L
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: VFR encounter with IMC
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis 

The noninstrument-rated private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight to compete in an aerobatic competition scheduled to begin the next day. Weather information showed that the pilot would have experienced increasingly cloudy conditions as the airplane proceeded along the route of flight. Radar data indicated that the airplane was flying on a northerly heading before it made two complete right turns followed by a larger diameter sweeping right turn, and abrupt and rapid diversions from the en route altitude. The last 3 minutes of data showed the airplane climbing from 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) (1,300 ft above ground level) to 6,425 ft msl. The airplane then began to descend, and radar contact was lost at 5,800 ft msl. Automated observations from airports north and south of the accident site showed ceilings at 800 ft above ground level and 1,200 ft above ground level, respectively. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing from an official, access-controlled source before departing on the flight, and it could not be determined if he checked or received additional weather information before or during the flight.

A witness described the airplane as performing "aerobatics" in a very "low cloud ceiling." He subsequently observed the airplane enter a "high vertical climb," and then heard it descending. The airplane descended through the bottom of the clouds and continued "straight down" until impact. In addition, a witness heard the engine operating at a high power setting before impact. The damage to adjacent trees and the limited linear wreckage debris path were consistent with a near-vertical, nose-low attitude at impact. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact anomaly or malfunction. A placard in the airplane stated that the airplane was not approved for flight in instrument meteorological conditions.

Despite not being instrument rated and flying an airplane that was not certificated for instrument conditions, the pilot chose to continue along the flight route as weather conditions deteriorated rather than diverting, consistent with a common behavioral trap known as "get-there-it is." It is likely that the pilot's desire to get to the destination airport in order to prepare for the competition contributed to this behavior. The instrument meteorological conditions that existed in the area of the accident site around the accident time and the airplane's turning ground track and near-vertical descent were consistent with a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.

Toxicology testing identified THC and its primary metabolite in liver, kidney, and lung specimens. While this indicated that the pilot had used marijuana at some point before the flight, without results from a blood specimen, it could not be determined when he used it or whether it may have had impairing effects at the time of the accident.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The noninstrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's self-induced pressure to complete the flight in order to attend the aerobatic competition. 

Findings

Aircraft
Performance/control parameters - Not attained/maintained (Cause)

Personnel issues
Spatial disorientation - Pilot (Cause)
Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)
Motivation/respond to pressure - Pilot (Factor)
Use of medication/drugs - Pilot

Environmental issues
Below VFR minima - Effect on operation (Cause)

Factual Information

History of Flight

Enroute-cruise
VFR encounter with IMC (Defining event)

Enroute
Loss of control in flight

Uncontrolled descent
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

On July 13, 2017, about 1125 eastern daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, N210MX, was destroyed after it impacted trees and terrain near Winchester, New Hampshire. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot who operated it under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated about 1030 from Danielson Airport (LZD), Danielson, Connecticut, and was destined for Hartness State Airport (VSF), Springfield, Vermont.

According to the pilot's son, the pilot was flying to VSF to compete in an aerobatic competition being held that weekend. The pilot would typically fly to the competition airport on a Thursday morning in order to practice in the aerobatic box that afternoon. The competition would take place on Friday and Saturday.

A review of radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the airplane was flying on a northerly heading before it made two complete right turns, followed by a larger diameter sweeping right turn, and abrupt and rapid diversions from the en route altitude. The last 3 minutes of data indicated that the airplane climbed from 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) (about 1,300 ft above ground level) to 6,425 ft msl. The airplane then began to descend, and radar contact was lost at 5,800 ft msl, about 35 miles from the destination airport.

A witness heard the airplane and went into a field to watch it. He described the airplane performing "aerobatics" in a very "low cloud ceiling." Several minutes after he began watching the airplane, it descended "so low" that he and his son began waving at it. Then, about 1125, the airplane "went into a high vertical climb," and climbed to an altitude at which the witness could barely hear it. The witness then heard the airplane descending. He watched it descend through the bottom of the clouds and continue "straight down," then heard the sound of impact. He stated that the time between the airplane's descent out of the clouds and impact was about "2 to 3 seconds." Another witness reported hearing the airplane's engine before the accident and reported that it sounded like "it was racing," and that the "rpms were high."



Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 65, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/19/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 09/16/2015
Flight Time: 2810 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot was issued a third-class FAA medical certificate on October 19, 2016, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. At that time, he reported 2,810 total hours of flight experience and 108 hours during the previous 6 months. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating. 


Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH
Registration: N210MX
Model/Series: EA 300/L
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Aerobatic; Normal
Serial Number: 1210
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 04/18/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 956.57 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: AEIO-540-L1B5
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 300 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

According to FAA records, the two-place monoplane was manufactured in 2005 and was registered to the pilot in 2006. It was equipped with a Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 series, 300-horsepower engine that drove a four-bladed, constant speed, MT-Propeller. According to airplane maintenance records, an annual inspection was completed on April 18, 2017, at 956.57 total aircraft hours.

A placard located in the cockpit stated, "This airplane is certificated for VFR day operation." 



Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: ORE, 555 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 11 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1052 EDT
Direction from Accident Site: 160°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Thin Overcast / 800 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 800 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 7 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 40°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 18°C
Precipitation and Obscuration:  No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Danielson, CT (LZD)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: SPRINGFIELD, VT (VSF)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1030 EDT
Type of Airspace: 

At 1052, the recorded weather observation at Orange Municipal Airport (ORE), Orange, Massachusetts, about 11 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 040° at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast clouds 800 ft above ground level (agl), temperature 19°C, dew point 18°C; and an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury.

At 1056, the recorded weather observation at Dillant-Hopkins Airport (EEN), Keene, New Hampshire, about 11 miles northeast of the accident location, included wind from 010° at 4 knots, 10 miles visibility, an overcast ceiling at 1,200 ft agl, temperature 16°C, dew point 14°C, and altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.

According to a NTSB Senior Meteorologist, the observations from ORE and EEN surrounding the accident time indicated instrument flight rules (IFR) to marginal visual flight rules (MVFR) ceiling conditions. With a northeast surface wind east of the Appalachian Mountains and a surface high pressure center in place over the northeastern United States, cold air damming (CAD) conditions were likely. The self-reinforcing CAD allowed for continued IFR ceilings north of the warm front at the accident site at the accident time.

In addition, a review of visible and infrared data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite number 13 (GOES-13) indicated abundant cloud cover above the accident site at the accident time. The cloud cover increased dramatically along the airplane's northerly route of flight. Infrared imagery indicated higher cloud tops located northeast through west of the accident site, with the highest cloud tops over New York. Based on the brightness temperatures above the accident site and the vertical temperature profile provided by the upper air data sounding, the approximate cloud-top heights over the accident site were 22,000 ft at 1115.

A search of official weather briefing sources revealed that the pilot did not contact Leidos or Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS) for weather information. An archive search of ForeFlight data revealed that the pilot did not gather weather information from ForeFlight before or during the accident flight. It is unknown if the pilot checked or received additional weather information before or during the accident flight.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 42.739444, -72.386111 

Examination of the accident site revealed a strong odor of fuel. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The main wreckage came to rest oriented on a 025° heading in a heavily wooded area at an elevation of 680 ft msl. Impact damage was observed on a 100-ft-tall tree that was consistent with the airplane impacting the tree before impacting the ground about 25 ft beyond the tree strike. There were a few branches between the tree strike and the main wreckage location that exhibited 45° cuts. In addition, chips of white paint were lodged in the wood. The main wreckage came to rest about 15 ft beyond the initial impact crater against two trees. The initial impact crater was about 4 ft deep and about 6 ft in diameter. Linear ground scars consistent with the length and dimension of the leading edge of each wing were visible on either side of the impact crater.

The cockpit was destroyed and fragmented by impact forces. The cockpit instrument panel was destroyed, and the flight and performance instruments were separated. No useful information was obtained from the instruments. The attitude indicator was not located and the turn coordinator face was destroyed. Flight control continuity was obtained from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit through breaks and fractures consistent with overload. The right wing was impact-separated and fractured. A majority of the pieces were located forward of the impact crater. The left wing was impact-separated and fractured. Several sections of the left wing and aileron were located aft of the initial impact crater.

The empennage remained attached to the fuselage. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached to the empennage. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer and displayed impact damage along about 8 inches of its upper section. The right horizontal stabilizer was impact-separated but remained attached to the empennage by control cables. The right elevator was impact-separated and was located just aft of the right horizontal stabilizer. The elevator trim tab was impact-separated but remained attached to the right elevator through cables.

All four wooden propeller blades were impact-separated and fragmented. Several pieces of the propeller blades were located in the initial impact crater and a few pieces were located about 25 ft from the initial impact crater. The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft flange.

The engine came to rest upright, facing opposite the direction of travel. Three of the four engine mounts were impact-separated from the crankcase. Impact fractures were noted throughout the crankcase and sections were missing on the Nos. 1, 3, and 5-cylinder side. Cylinder No. 1 was impact-separated from the engine. Cylinder Nos. 3 and 5 were impact-separated from the crankcase but remained attached through the piston and connecting rods. The No. 2 cylinder head was impact-separated, and the Nos. 4 and 6 cylinders remained intact and attached to the crankcase. All cylinders exhibited impact damage on the cooling fins. The Nos. 3, 5, and 2 pistons were visible, and carbon deposits were noted on the piston faces. The crankshaft would not rotate; however, no fractures or thermal discoloration were noted. The camshaft remained intact and no anomalies were noted with the visible camshaft lobes. No thermal discoloration or damage was noted inside the engine crankcase.

A JPI EDM 700 engine monitor was retained and sent to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory for data download. The data indicated that the engine was operating throughout the flight without anomaly.

Medical And Pathological Information

The State of New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Concord, New Hampshire performed the autopsy on the pilot. The autopsy report indicated that the pilot died as a result of multiple blunt impact injuries.

The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing of the pilot. Fluid and tissue specimens from the pilot tested negative for carbon monoxide. The test indicated 105 mg/dL of ethanol in the liver, but no ethanol in the kidney, which was consistent with postmortem production. The testing identified 0.2965 ug/ml of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the lung and 0.366 ug/ml of THC in the kidney. In addition, 0.4511 ug/ml of 11-carboxytetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) was detected in the kidney and 0.0766 ug/ml THC-OOH was detected in the lung.

THC is the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana and THC-COOH is the primary non-active metabolite of THC in liver tissue. 

Additional Information

FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 60-4A, "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation," states, in part:

The attitude of an aircraft is generally determined by reference to the natural horizon or other visual references with the surface. If neither horizon nor surface references exist, the attitude of an aircraft must be determined by artificial means from the flight instruments. Sight, supported by other senses, allows the pilot to maintain orientation. However, during periods of low visibility, the supporting senses sometimes conflict with what is seen. When this happens, a pilot is particularly vulnerable to disorientation. The degree of disorientation may vary considerably with individual pilots. Spatial disorientation to a pilot means simply the inability to tell which way is "up."

The AC notes that a disoriented pilot may place an aircraft in a dangerous attitude, and recommends that pilots, "not attempt visual flight rules flight when there is a possibility of getting trapped in deteriorating weather."

Get-There-Itis

According to FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-22, Aeronautical Decision Making, "pilots, particularly those with considerable experience, as a rule always try to complete a flight as planned, please passengers, meet schedules, and generally demonstrate that they have 'the right stuff.'"

One of the common behavioral traps identified was "Get-There-Itis." According to the AC, "common among pilots, [get-there-itis] clouds the vision and impairs judgment by causing a fixation on the original goal or destination combined with a total disregard for any alternative course of action."

Get-There-Itis is also known as hurry syndrome, plan continuation, or goal fixation.

Bradley Brewer, of 342 Manning Hill Road, in Winchester, New Hampshire, stands in the spot where he said he heard an aircraft go down around 11:30 a.m. on July 13th, 2017.

Kumaran Spaulding talks with emergency personnel about a plane crash at 375 Scotland Road, in Winchester, New Hampshire, around 11:30 a.m. on July 13th, 2017. Spaulding said he was out in the field with his son, Darian, when they heard the sound of an airplane engine throttling up and down, then saw the plane exiting the clouds going over the tree line. The father said he may have heard a crash; the son said the valley suddenly went silent. 


Dennis Croteau, of Walpole Rescue, from Walpole, New Hampshire, prepares a Typhoon H model drone at 375 Scotland Road, in Winchester, New Hampshire after witnesses said they saw the plane crash around 11:30 a.m. on July 13th, 2017.



Keene, N.H., Fire Department Lt. Aaron Cooper points while Lt. Raymond Phillips operates a DJI Phantom 3 Drone while searching the area for the Extra EA-300/L that had crashed. 




The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Maine

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 
 
http://registry.faa.gov/N210MX


Location: Winchester, NH
Accident Number: ERA17FA241
Date & Time: 07/13/2017, 1125 EDT
Registration: N210MX
Aircraft: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH EA 300/L
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: VFR encounter with IMC
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On July 13, 2017, about 1125 eastern daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, N210MX, was destroyed after it impacted trees and terrain near Winchester, New Hampshire. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot who operated it under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated about 1030 from Danielson Airport (LZD), Danielson, Connecticut, and was destined for Hartness State Airport (VSF), Springfield, Vermont.

According to the pilot's son, the pilot was flying to VSF to compete in an aerobatic competition being held that weekend. The pilot would typically fly to the competition airport on a Thursday morning in order to practice in the aerobatic box that afternoon. The competition would take place on Friday and Saturday.

A review of radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the airplane was flying on a northerly heading before it made two complete right turns, followed by a larger diameter sweeping right turn, and abrupt and rapid diversions from the en route altitude. The last 3 minutes of data indicated that the airplane climbed from 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) (about 1,300 ft above ground level) to 6,425 ft msl. The airplane then began to descend, and radar contact was lost at 5,800 ft msl, about 35 miles from the destination airport.

A witness heard the airplane and went into a field to watch it. He described the airplane performing "aerobatics" in a very "low cloud ceiling." Several minutes after he began watching the airplane, it descended "so low" that he and his son began waving at it. Then, about 1125, the airplane "went into a high vertical climb," and climbed to an altitude at which the witness could barely hear it. The witness then heard the airplane descending. He watched it descend through the bottom of the clouds and continue "straight down," then heard the sound of impact. He stated that the time between the airplane's descent out of the clouds and impact was about "2 to 3 seconds." Another witness reported hearing the airplane's engine before the accident and reported that it sounded like "it was racing," and that the "rpms were high."

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 65, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/19/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 09/16/2015
Flight Time: 2810 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot was issued a third-class FAA medical certificate on October 19, 2016, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. At that time, he reported 2,810 total hours of flight experience and 108 hours during the previous 6 months. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH
Registration: N210MX
Model/Series: EA 300/L
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Aerobatic; Normal
Serial Number: 1210
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 04/18/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 956.57 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: AEIO-540-L1B5
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 300 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

According to FAA records, the two-place monoplane was manufactured in 2005 and was registered to the pilot in 2006. It was equipped with a Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 series, 300-horsepower engine that drove a four-bladed, constant speed, MT-Propeller. According to airplane maintenance records, an annual inspection was completed on April 18, 2017, at 956.57 total aircraft hours.

A placard located in the cockpit stated, "This airplane is certificated for VFR day operation." 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: ORE, 555 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 11 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1052 EDT
Direction from Accident Site: 160°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Thin Overcast / 800 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 800 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 7 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 40°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 18°C
Precipitation and Obscuration:  No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Danielson, CT (LZD)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: SPRINGFIELD, VT (VSF)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1030 EDT
Type of Airspace: 

At 1052, the recorded weather observation at Orange Municipal Airport (ORE), Orange, Massachusetts, about 11 miles south of the accident site, included wind from 040° at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast clouds 800 ft above ground level (agl), temperature 19°C, dew point 18°C; and an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury.

At 1056, the recorded weather observation at Dillant-Hopkins Airport (EEN), Keene, New Hampshire, about 11 miles northeast of the accident location, included wind from 010° at 4 knots, 10 miles visibility, an overcast ceiling at 1,200 ft agl, temperature 16°C, dew point 14°C, and altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.

According to a NTSB Senior Meteorologist, the observations from ORE and EEN surrounding the accident time indicated instrument flight rules (IFR) to marginal visual flight rules (MVFR) ceiling conditions. With a northeast surface wind east of the Appalachian Mountains and a surface high pressure center in place over the northeastern United States, cold air damming (CAD) conditions were likely. The self-reinforcing CAD allowed for continued IFR ceilings north of the warm front at the accident site at the accident time.

In addition, a review of visible and infrared data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite number 13 (GOES-13) indicated abundant cloud cover above the accident site at the accident time. The cloud cover increased dramatically along the airplane's northerly route of flight. Infrared imagery indicated higher cloud tops located northeast through west of the accident site, with the highest cloud tops over New York. Based on the brightness temperatures above the accident site and the vertical temperature profile provided by the upper air data sounding, the approximate cloud-top heights over the accident site were 22,000 ft at 1115.

A search of official weather briefing sources revealed that the pilot did not contact Leidos or Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS) for weather information. An archive search of ForeFlight data revealed that the pilot did not gather weather information from ForeFlight before or during the accident flight. It is unknown if the pilot checked or received additional weather information before or during the accident flight.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 42.739444, -72.386111 

Examination of the accident site revealed a strong odor of fuel. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The main wreckage came to rest oriented on a 025° heading in a heavily wooded area at an elevation of 680 ft msl. Impact damage was observed on a 100-ft-tall tree that was consistent with the airplane impacting the tree before impacting the ground about 25 ft beyond the tree strike. There were a few branches between the tree strike and the main wreckage location that exhibited 45° cuts. In addition, chips of white paint were lodged in the wood. The main wreckage came to rest about 15 ft beyond the initial impact crater against two trees. The initial impact crater was about 4 ft deep and about 6 ft in diameter. Linear ground scars consistent with the length and dimension of the leading edge of each wing were visible on either side of the impact crater.

The cockpit was destroyed and fragmented by impact forces. The cockpit instrument panel was destroyed, and the flight and performance instruments were separated. No useful information was obtained from the instruments. The attitude indicator was not located and the turn coordinator face was destroyed. Flight control continuity was obtained from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit through breaks and fractures consistent with overload. The right wing was impact-separated and fractured. A majority of the pieces were located forward of the impact crater. The left wing was impact-separated and fractured. Several sections of the left wing and aileron were located aft of the initial impact crater.

The empennage remained attached to the fuselage. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached to the empennage. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer and displayed impact damage along about 8 inches of its upper section. The right horizontal stabilizer was impact-separated but remained attached to the empennage by control cables. The right elevator was impact-separated and was located just aft of the right horizontal stabilizer. The elevator trim tab was impact-separated but remained attached to the right elevator through cables.

All four wooden propeller blades were impact-separated and fragmented. Several pieces of the propeller blades were located in the initial impact crater and a few pieces were located about 25 ft from the initial impact crater. The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft flange.

The engine came to rest upright, facing opposite the direction of travel. Three of the four engine mounts were impact-separated from the crankcase. Impact fractures were noted throughout the crankcase and sections were missing on the Nos. 1, 3, and 5-cylinder side. Cylinder No. 1 was impact-separated from the engine. Cylinder Nos. 3 and 5 were impact-separated from the crankcase but remained attached through the piston and connecting rods. The No. 2 cylinder head was impact-separated, and the Nos. 4 and 6 cylinders remained intact and attached to the crankcase. All cylinders exhibited impact damage on the cooling fins. The Nos. 3, 5, and 2 pistons were visible, and carbon deposits were noted on the piston faces. The crankshaft would not rotate; however, no fractures or thermal discoloration were noted. The camshaft remained intact and no anomalies were noted with the visible camshaft lobes. No thermal discoloration or damage was noted inside the engine crankcase.

A JPI EDM 700 engine monitor was retained and sent to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory for data download. The data indicated that the engine was operating throughout the flight without anomaly.

Medical And Pathological Information

The State of New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Concord, New Hampshire performed the autopsy on the pilot. The autopsy report indicated that the pilot died as a result of multiple blunt impact injuries.

The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing of the pilot. Fluid and tissue specimens from the pilot tested negative for carbon monoxide. The test indicated 105 mg/dL of ethanol in the liver, but no ethanol in the kidney, which was consistent with postmortem production. The testing identified 0.2965 ug/ml of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the lung and 0.366 ug/ml of THC in the kidney. In addition, 0.4511 ug/ml of 11-carboxytetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) was detected in the kidney and 0.0766 ug/ml THC-OOH was detected in the lung.

THC is the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana and THC-COOH is the primary non-active metabolite of THC in liver tissue. 

Additional Information

FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 60-4A, "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation," states, in part:

The attitude of an aircraft is generally determined by reference to the natural horizon or other visual references with the surface. If neither horizon nor surface references exist, the attitude of an aircraft must be determined by artificial means from the flight instruments. Sight, supported by other senses, allows the pilot to maintain orientation. However, during periods of low visibility, the supporting senses sometimes conflict with what is seen. When this happens, a pilot is particularly vulnerable to disorientation. The degree of disorientation may vary considerably with individual pilots. Spatial disorientation to a pilot means simply the inability to tell which way is "up."

The AC notes that a disoriented pilot may place an aircraft in a dangerous attitude, and recommends that pilots, "not attempt visual flight rules flight when there is a possibility of getting trapped in deteriorating weather."

Get-There-Itis

According to FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-22, Aeronautical Decision Making, "pilots, particularly those with considerable experience, as a rule always try to complete a flight as planned, please passengers, meet schedules, and generally demonstrate that they have 'the right stuff.'"

One of the common behavioral traps identified was "Get-There-Itis." According to the AC, "common among pilots, [get-there-itis] clouds the vision and impairs judgment by causing a fixation on the original goal or destination combined with a total disregard for any alternative course of action."


Get-There-Itis is also known as hurry syndrome, plan continuation, or goal fixation.

NTSB Identification: ERA17FA241 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 13, 2017 in Winchester, NH
Aircraft: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU GMBH EA 300/L, registration: N210MX
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 13, 2017, about 1125 eastern daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L, N210MX, was destroyed after it impacted trees and terrain near Winchester, New Hampshire. The private pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated around 1030 from Danielson Airport (LZD), Danielson, Connecticut. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and was destined for Hartness State Airport (VSF), Springfield, Vermont.

According to local law enforcement, two witnesses reported that they could not see the airplane due to low clouds, but they could hear the engine sound which was "very loud." A third witness stated that the airplane was flying around, then it climbed and then came "straight down." 

A preliminary review of radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the airplane was flying on a northerly heading before it made nearly three complete right turns. The last 3 minutes of data indicated that the airplane climbed from 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) to 6,425 ft msl. Then, the airplane began to descend and radar contact was lost at 5,800 ft msl.

According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot was issued a third-class medical certificate on October 19, 2016, with the limitation of "must wear corrective lenses." At that time, he reported 2,810 total flight hours and 108 hours during the6 months prior to the medical examination. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating.

According to FAA records, the two-place monoplane was manufactured in 2005, and was registered to the pilot in 2006. It was equipped with a Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 series, 300-horsepower, engine that drove a four-bladed, constant speed, MT-Propeller. According to airplane maintenance logbooks, an annual inspection was completed on April 18, 2017, at 956.57 total aircraft hours.

At 1052, the recorded weather observation at Orange Municipal Airport (ORE), Orange, Massachusetts, about 11 miles to the south of the accident location, included wind from 040° at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast clouds 800 ft above ground level, temperature 19° C, dew point 18° C; and an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury.

Examination of the accident site revealed a strong odor of fuel, and all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The main wreckage came to rest oriented on a 025° heading, in a heavily wooded area, at an elevation of 680 ft msl. The airplane struck a 100 ft tree prior to impacting the ground about 25 ft beyond the initial tree strike. The main wreckage came to rest about 15 ft beyond the initial impact crater against two trees. The initial impact crater was about 4 ft deep and approximately 6 ft in diameter. Linear ground scars consistent with the length and dimension of the leading edge of each wing were visible on either side of the impact crater.

The cockpit was destroyed and fragmented by impact forces Both seats remained attached to the airframe. Both 4-point harnesses were latched. Flight control continuity was obtained from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit through breaks and fractures consistent with overload. The right wing was impact separated and fractured. A majority of the pieces were located forward of the impact crater. The stall warning indicator was located about 1 ft forward of the initial impact crater and was separated from the right wing. The left wing was impact separated and fractured. Several sections of the left wing and aileron were located aft of the initial impact crater.

The empennage remained attached to the fuselage. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached to the empennage. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer and approximately 8 inches of its upper section was impact damaged. The right horizontal stabilizer was impact separated but remained attached to the empennage through cables. The right elevator was impact separated and was located just aft of the right horizontal stabilizer. The elevator trim tab was impact separated, but remained attached to the right elevator through cables.

All four wooden propeller blades were impact separated and fragmented. Several pieces of the propeller blades were located in the initial impact crater and a few pieces were located about 25 ft from the initial impact crater. The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft flange.

The engine came to rest upright, facing opposite the direction of travel. Three of the four engine mounts were impact separated from the crankcase. Impact fractures were noted throughout the crankcase and sections were missing on the Nos. 1, 3, and 5 -cylinder side. Cylinder No. 1 was impact separated from the engine. Cylinder Nos. 3 and 5 were impact separated from the crankcase, but remained attached through the piston and connecting rods. The No. 2 cylinder head was impact separated and the Nos. 4 and 6 cylinders remained intact and attached to the crankcase. All cylinders exhibited impact damage on the cooling fins. The Nos. 3, 5, and 2, pistons were visible, and carbon deposits were noted on the piston faces. The crankshaft would not rotate; however, no fractures or thermal discoloration were noted. The camshaft remained intact and no anomalies were noted with the visible camshaft lobes. No thermal discoloration or damage was noted inside the engine crankcase.

There were a few branches between the initial tree strike and the main wreckage location that exhibited 45° cuts. In addition, chips of white paint were lodged in the wood.

A JPI EDM 700 was retained and sent to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory for data download.

JOHN E. EVERSON 1952 - 2017 

PLAINFIELD - John E. Everson, 65, died Thursday, July 13, 2017 from injuries he suffered in a plane crash in the woods of Winchester, NH. He was the beloved husband of the late Melanie (Sweet) Everson. 

Born in Providence, RI, he was the son of the late Kirke B. Everson, Jr. and the late Rebecca E. (Chaney) Everson. John was an owner and officer of Narragansett Improvement Company in Providence. 

John was the RI director for the National Asphalt Paving Association and a trustee for the New England Laborers Pension Board as well as the treasurer for the Construction Industries of Rhode Island. His philanthropic interests included the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Habitat for Humanity, and the United Way.

He was a licensed pilot with almost 3000 hours of flying time. At the time of his death, he was flying his Extra 300L, a two-seat unlimited class aerobatic airplane, in which he had over 1000 hours of flying time. John's fascination with flying began at a very early age due to the influence of his father's service in WWII as a combat fighter ace. At the age of 14, John began flying gliders which began his over 50 year love of flying that culminated in his most recent accomplishment of finishing 1st place in his skill class at a recent aerobatic competition.

He is remembered as a man who loved his family, who valued hard work, with an undeniable passion for aviation.

He is survived by two sons: Dustin J. Everson (wife Carrie) of Danielson, CT and Kirke E. Everson (wife Erin) of Vienna, VA; two sisters: Mary E. Everson of Arlington, TX and Catherine "Peggy" Hayes of Miami, FL; five grandchildren: Dylan John Everson, Elizabeth Rebecca Everson, Katherine Margaret Everson, Brady Edward Everson and Claire Evelyn Everson and one nephew: Graeme Everson, son of his late brother Daniel D. Everson. For the past 15 years, he was the companion of Patricia Campbell.

He was the step-son of the late Beverly J. (Hanson) Phillips-Everson and the step-brother of her sons, Kurtis A. Phillips of Atlanta and Dana J. Phillips of Saunderstown.

Calling hours will be at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home & Crematory, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick, RI on Thursday, July 20 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. A memorial service will be held at the funeral home on Friday, July 21 at 11 AM immediately followed by a reception at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, RI. A private interment service will be held by his family in Swan Point Cemetery, Providence.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial donations be made to: American Cancer Society, 931 Jefferson Boulevard Suite 3004, Warwick, RI 02886-2213 (or online at www.cancer.org). Condolences may be offered and memories shared at carpenterjenks.com.









WINCHESTER, N.H. — A man who died after crashing his plane last week was part of a family known for spending time in the air.

John E. Everson, 65, of Danielson, Conn., was flying a stunt plane that went down on Scotland Road in Winchester on Thursday. His cousin believes the crash might have involved mechanical failure with the plane.

"I'm named after our grandfather Kirke B. Everson, who's my mother's father so also John's grandfather," said Kirke McVay. "John's father was Kirke D. Everson Jr. He was Rhode Island's first, if not only, World War II ace pilot — supposedly the first person to ever shoot down a jet in World War II. That was according to my younger brother."

McVay's younger brother, also a pilot, was closer to Everson. McVay said he spent more time with his cousin as a child. They were very close in age.

McVay said Everson's father was also a champion in New England glider competitions.

"He came from a family of experienced fliers so we were pretty surprised," McVay said of the crash. "We're kind of assuming there must have been a mechanical failure with the plane."

Federal Aviation Administration Spokesman Jim Peters said Everson was flying an Extra 300 when he crashed in Winchester. The aircraft is described on websites as a two-seat aerobatic monoplane.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. While the FAA will help in the process, the NTSB will determine a probable cause.

"Our goal is to have a preliminary report out for each fatal accident within two weeks," said Peter Knudson, NTSB spokesman.

He expects a report could come at the end of this week but said it's more likely going to be ready by next week.

Everson's attendance had been anticipated at the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest in Springfield, Vt.

"We believe [Everson] was in route to our contest Thursday," said Farrell Woods, president of New England Aerobatics Club, a chapter of the International Aerobatic Club. "Our event is rather popular but we were challenged by weather and pilots' ability to arrive this weekend."

About 22 or 23 registered pilots came to the contest. But usually a few more attend, Woods said.

"Many of the pilots didn't arrive until Saturday when the weather finally broke," he said.

Everson had been competing in the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest for 12 years and came in first place in one contest during last year's event.

Woods said he did not know Everson that well personally, but the two would meet at contests and organized practice session.

"He was an accomplished pilot of powered airplanes and gliders," Woods said. "He was soft-spoken, wise, friendly, happy to share his experiences and an asset to our club. His premature loss was a shock to us."

Everson had been the president of Narragansett Improvement Company, a Rhode Island contractor and asphalt plant operator. The company was incorporated in 1893 by sewer contractors Edward and John A. Everson in an effort to get into the emerging industry of asphalt paving. Everson and McVay's grandfather joined the company in 1920 after graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and serving as a captain of infantry in World War I, according to the company's website.

Everson became president of the company after his grandfather and his grandfather's son, Kirke Jr., had served in the position. Kirke Jr. had been in the United States Air Force for 10 years, according to the company's website.

"In 1970 John E. Everson became the fourth generation family member to join the Narragansett Improvement Company team," the website stated. "He was elected President in 1992 and has overseen and directed the continued growth and modernization of the manufacturing plant during his tenure."

McVay said he expects Everson's son Dustin will take over as president of the company. Dustin "spearheaded the company's retrofit into the recycling of bituminous asphalt products," according to the website.

McVay had never gone out in a plane with his cousin.

"I did go flying with his father in a glider one time. That was an interesting experience, getting towed up into the air then circling around and trying to catch thermals," McVay said, referring to rising hot air that pilots operating motor-less aircraft rely on. "It was exciting. It was different. I had a slight problem with motion sickness at the same time but I was OK. It's like an enclosed go-kart." 


http://www.reformer.com



A Connecticut man who died in a plane crash in Winchester Thursday was an experienced pilot, according to two pilots who knew him or his record in aerobatic competitions.

John E. Everson, 65, of Danielson, Conn., died in the crash which occurred around 11:30 a.m. in a heavily wooded area of the town, in the area of Warwick Road.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident; an investigator arrived at the scene of the fatal crash Friday afternoon, according to Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the federal agency.

On Saturday evening, Knudson didn’t have any information about the cause of the crash. He said it’s too early for the agency to know what happened. The investigator has yet to review information including air traffic control communications, weather reports and radar records from around the time of the crash, he said.

Knudson also said that the NTSB had yet to determine Everson’s intended destination.

However, Everson was expected at the Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest in Springfield, Vt., this weekend, according to contest director Bill Gordon.

The contest is put on by the New England Aerobatics Club, a chapter of the International Aerobatic Club, a nonprofit organization based in Wisconsin with more than 4,000 members across the globe.

The group leads aerobatic flight training and competitions throughout the country. Aerobatic flying involves performing aerial maneuvers or flying in formations, for recreation or sport.

Everson had been a member of the New England Aerobatics Club since 2004, according to Mike Heuer, the president of the International Aerobatic Club.

He also flew in several competitions and frequently attended the annual Green Mountain Aerobatic Contest in Vermont, Heuer said.

Everson competed there in at least nine of the past 12 years, according to records on the website of the International Aerobatic Club,.

According to competition records reviewed by Heuer, Everson finished in first place in the contest last year, out of 11 competitors who flew at his skill level.

Everson flew at the “sportsman” level last year, the second lowest of five skill levels.

At the sportsman level, Everson would have been able to perform maneuvers including spins, rolls and loops in the air, according to Heuer.

Heuer didn’t know Everson personally, but was saddened to learn of his death.

“It’s a huge loss,” he said. “We don’t like to lose any pilots, colleagues,” he said.

Heuer said that accidents in aerobatic airplanes are extremely rare. He added that the plane Everson was flying when he crashed was of high quality.

Jim Peters, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, said in an email Thursday night that the plane that crashed was an Extra 300.

According to FAA aircraft registry records, Everson owned an Extra EA 300/L manufactured in 2005.

“They’re probably one of the highest-quality built airplanes in the world,” Heuer said of planes built by the German company, EXTRA.

The planes aren’t only good for performing maneuvers in the sky, but also for “cross-country flying,” he said.

EXTRA planes are expensive and hand-built, Heuer said. This contradicts what Peters had previously told The Sentinel, that the aircraft that crashed in Winchester was home-built.

According to FAA records, Everson owns at least two other planes, neither of which was manufactured by EXTRA.

Everson appears to have been the president of a Providence, R.I.-based asphalt paving and site construction services company, Narragansett Improvement Co., according to the company’s website.

The website says that in 1970, Everson became the fourth-generation family member to join the company and that in 1992, he became its president.

No one at the company could be reached Saturday to confirm these facts. However, the company’s address matches the one Everson listed in his plane registration records with the FAA.

Sheldon Apsell, 74, of Boston is the treasurer of the New England Aerobatics Club and knew Everson from competitions.

“He was a skillful pilot. He was experienced; he was competent; he had a good head on his shoulders,” he said of Everson. “That’s why I’m totally shocked by this.”

He described Everson as level-headed and modest.

“This whole thing is just so hard for us to believe,” he said.


http://www.sentinelsource.com

Kumaran Spaulding talks with emergency personnel about a plane crash at 375 Scotland Road, in Winchester, N.H., around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. Spaulding said he was out in the field with his son, Darian, when they heard the sound of an airplane engine throttling up and down, then saw the plane exiting the clouds going over the tree line. The father said he may have heard a crash; the son said the valley suddenly went silent. 


WINCHESTER, N.H. — Emergency personnel responded to Scotland Road at just before 11:30 a.m. on Thursday after receiving a 911 call about a possible plane crash in Mirey Brook Swamp, which straddles the state line between Winchester and Warwick, Mass.

Following an intensive search that ended around 5:40 p.m., searchers confirmed a downed aircraft in the vicinity of Curtis Pond off of Warwick Road, also known as Route 78. They also confirmed the pilot of the aircraft was dead.

The first call to 911 came in around 11:20 a.m., after Kumaran Spaulding heard a strange noise in the air. Spaulding was walking in a field on his father's property on Scotland Road with his 13-year-old son, Darian, who was visiting from Indiana. Darian Spaulding said he heard the sound of an airplane engine but it sounded like the engine was being throttled up and down. Then he and his father spotted the airplane pop out of the low-hanging clouds before it went over the tree line and disappeared from view.

While Kumaran Spaulding said he heard what appeared to be the sounds of a crash, Darian said "Suddenly, the valley was very silent."

Emergency personnel from around the region — including members of the Winchester Fire Department and Winchester Police Department, the Walpole Fire Department, the Keene Fire Department, the New Hampshire State Police and New Hampshire Fish and Game — converged in a field on the Spaulding property shortly after the Spauldings called 911. At the same time, other witnesses were also making emergency calls.

Bradley Brewer was working in his barn on Manning Hill when he heard the same sounds Kumaran and Darian Spaulding described. "I heard an engine sputtering and I heard one whale of a thump right in line with the trees and nothing after that. It made the hair on my arms stand up."

Lt. Aaron Cooper, of the Keene Fire Department, was put in charge of the search team. He told the media that they had received nearly a half-dozen phone calls reporting the crash and at the time considered it very credible that the crash had occurred.

As emergency personnel were working to triangulate the location using the witness accounts, a pair of drones were launched from the field on Scotland Road to search Mirey Brook Swamp, which straddles the state line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. With more information collected, the drones returned to the field and Winchester Fire Chief Barry Kellom moved the command center to the Winchester Fire Department at about 3:20 p.m.

Fire Mutual Aid then sent a call out to recruit 20 people to conduct a foot search of the area where the plane was suspected of crashing.

Kellom held a press conference at the fire department at 3:30 p.m. He said accounts from different witnesses matched up and it was just a matter of triangulating the witness accounts to determine where best to conduct the search. Fish and Game wardens were searching the Upper Snow Road and Manning Hill Road area, which he described as ledgey and mountainous.

"At this point, any search will be very challenging and time consuming," said Kellom during the press conference. "But right now we are taking this as a rescue operation so time is of the essence."

With a weather front expected to move into the area around 6 p.m., all search helicopters had been grounded.

"We've been in contact with airports and they have no reports of missing aircraft or even any aircraft that has taken off," said Kellom. At 6:45 p.m., when Kellom held a press conference with Fish and Game Warden Lt. Dave Walsh and Michael Todd, from the N.H. Department of Safety, it was still unknown where the plane had originated from or who the pilot was.

"It's in the hands of the [Federal Aviation Administration] and the [National Safety and Transportation Board] now," said Kellom.

He described the area the plane was found in as heavily wooded and "a tough-access location." At the time of the press conference, law enforcement personnel were securing the scene in advance of the arrival of investigators from the FAA and the NSTB.

http://www.reformer.com

Bradley Brewer, of 342 Manning Hill Road, in Winchester, N.H., stands in the spot where he said he heard an aircraft go down around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.


WINCHESTER — A Connecticut man is dead after a plane he was flying crashed in a heavily wooded area of town Thursday.

John E. Everson, 65, of Danielson was the plane's pilot, according to Winchester Police Chief Gary Phillips.

After an effort that included multiple agencies, spanned several hours and employed ATVs and drones, searchers on the ground found the downed plane at approximately 5 p.m. in the area of Warwick Road, according to Winchester Fire Chief Barry Kellom. A N.H. Department of Safety news release said a Winchester firefighter found the plane.

Jim Peters, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, said in an email Thursday night that the plane was an Extra 300 — a small, aerobatic plane, according to the company’s website. The plane was a registered homebuilt aircraft, he said.

Early Thursday afternoon, 10 vehicles from various agencies were parked in a field on a rural property on Scotland Road, where one of the early witness reports had originated.

Kumaran Spaulding, the property owner’s son, said he had seen what could have been a one- or two-seat stunt plane plummeting straight down from approximately 400 feet. He indicated an area beyond the tall trees ringing the field, where he thought it would have landed. “The plane came down very fast, and we heard a crash,” he said.

Patrick McLoud, who lives on Scotland Road, said he was on his porch at about 11 a.m. when he saw a small plane circling the area, as if it were looking for something, before it headed north. Not long after, he heard what he thought was the same engine, only this time it was a “roaring” that came to a sudden stop. “The engine sounded way too loud. There was roaring, and it cut off abruptly.”

The investigation has been turned over to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, Kellom said. N.H. Fish and Game Lt. David Walsh said this is standard procedure for aircraft crashes.

It's unclear where the plane took off from. Representatives of several area airports, including Keene's Dillant-Hopkins in North Swanzey, Orange (Mass.) Municipal Airport, Northampton (Mass.) Airport and Silver Ranch in Jaffrey said the plane had not launched from their runways.

The Winchester Fire Department first received a call about a possible plane crash Thursday at 11:26 a.m., then another minutes later, Kellom said. Town police and fire personnel spoke to witnesses, he said.

In total, officials received at least a half-dozen calls from people reporting hearing or seeing a plane, or both, Keene Fire Lt. Aaron Cooper said Thursday afternoon.

The Winchester Fire Department then called in other local and state agencies, Kellom said. Crews from Hinsdale, Keene, Richmond, Swanzey, Troy, Walpole, Northfield, Mass., and Warwick, Mass., joined the search effort, the Department of Safety news release says.

The search was run jointly by Winchester Fire and N.H. Fish and Game, according to Kellom.

He said his department requested plane and helicopter support for the search, but inclement weather made that impossible. According to Southwestern N.H. District Fire Mutual Aid, a State Police helicopter had to turn around. Keene and Walpole fire personnel did send up drones from multiple locations.

At the Scotland Road property, about 20 emergency personnel moved about in what Phillips called “search mode,” trying to figure out where the plane might have come from and where to focus the search.

No one had seen smoke, Phillips said, complicating the search.

The wide strip of mowed grass on which operations unfolded happened to be a seldom-used private airstrip. Howard Spaulding, the retired aircraft engineer who owns the property, said he used to commute by air to New Jersey, Long Island and Amherst, Mass., but hasn’t flown in many years.

By about 2:45 p.m., most vehicles and personnel had left Scotland Road as the search shifted elsewhere.

Fish and Game sent ATVs to an area off Manning Hill Road, according to Kellom.

Nearby, Keene Fire personnel operated a drone from a lawn at the end of Curtis Road that provided expansive views of the surrounding terrain.

Local residents also expressed a willingness to help with the search, Kellom said.

By 5:30 p.m., though officials had yet to confirm the search’s end, fire personnel from the search sites were filtering back to the Winchester fire station.

At a news conference an hour later, Walsh, the Fish and Game lieutenant, said, "It might be worth thanking at least the three witnesses who called in descriptions, because without them we would have no idea it disappeared."



Dennis Croteau, of Walpole Rescue, from Walpole, N.H., prepares a Typhoon H model drone at 375 Scotland Road, in Winchester, N.H., after witnesses said they saw a plane crash around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.


WINCHESTER, N.H. — Police have publicly released the identity of a pilot killed Thursday in a plane crash in Winchester.

John Everson, 65, of Danielson, Connecticut, was the sole occupant of the plane, police said.

Several witnesses reported seeing a small plane doing stunts, then nose-diving into the woods in the area of Upper Snow Road and Scotland Road in Winchester.


According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was an Extra 300 aircraft. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

Keene, N.H., Fire Department Lt. Aaron Cooper points while Lt. Raymond Phillips operates a DJI Phantom 3 Drone while searching the area for a plane that had crashed. 


Update, 6:55 p.m.: Winchester Fire Chief Barry Kellom has confirmed that one person is dead after a plane crashed in a heavily wooded area of town today. 

The plane was found in the general vicinity of Route 78 at approximately 5 p.m. in a search that included multiple agencies and spanned several hours. 

No information has been released on the person's identity, including gender or approximate age. 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will take over the scene.

WINCHESTER — Authorities are searching off Scotland Road in Winchester today after a report that a plane crashed in the area. 

Winchester Fire Chief Barry Kellom said in an interview at the fire station this afternoon that search aircraft were grounded because of the weather and they expect another storm this evening, but this won’t halt the ground search. “Right now we’re taking this as a rescue operation, so time is of the essence.”

Kellom said the search is a joint operation of N.H. Fish and Game and Winchester Fire. Fish and Game is now searching on ATVs on Manning Hill Road, Kellom said.

Witness Kumaran Spaulding says he saw a plane that looked like it could have been a one or two-seat stunt plane approximately 400 feet up that was going straight down. "The plane came down very fast and we heard a crash," Spaulding said.

Patrick McLoud, who lives on Scotland Road, said that at around 11 a.m., he saw a single-engine plane circling in the area, then headed north. At that point, McLoud said, he didn’t perceive trouble. Then, maybe 10 to 15 minutes later, he heard what he thought was the same engine but this time it was “roaring” and then came to a sudden stop. “The engine sounded way too loud. There was roaring, and it cut off abruptly.”

Keene Fire Lt. Aaron Cooper said officials have gotten at least a half dozen calls from people reporting hearing or seeing a plane, or both — “enough that it’s pretty credible.”

N.H. Homeland Security and Emergency Management tweeted that it has activated the state Emergency Operations Center to coordinate and assist with any search and rescue operations.

Winchester Police Chief Gary Phillips said emergency personnel are searching in the area between Scotland Road and Route 78.

Southwestern N.H. District Fire Mutual Aid said a State Police helicopter had to turn around due to weather but drones have been sent up to search.

If a plane did crash, it's unclear where it may have taken off from. Representatives of several local airports, including Dillant-Hopkins in Keene, Orange (Mass.) Municipal, Northampton (Mass.) Airport and Silver Ranch in Jaffrey said the plane had not launched from their runways.

Representatives for the Turners Falls airport in Montague, Mass., did not immediately respond to queries.

A dispatcher with Southwestern N.H. District Fire Mutual Aid was heard saying they received two reports of a loud noise that sounded like a plane crash.  

http://www.sentinelsource.com



WINCHESTER, N.H. —  Investigators are trying to determine what caused a deadly plane crash deep in the woods in Winchester.

"They discovered that there was one occupant in the plane that was deceased at that time," said Winchester Fire Chief Barry Kellom.

Several witnesses reported seeing a small plane doing stunts, then nose-diving into the woods in the area of Upper Snow Road and Scotland Road.

"It sounded like they were flying down and then back up and then down," said witness Bradley Brewer.

Brewer never saw the plane, but he heard it. "And then I could hear the plane sputtering, so I ran out here and I heard one thump right in line with the tree there. Nothing after that," he said.

Local, state and federal agencies searched by foot and ATV.

They also used drones because rain forced them to call off air rescue efforts.

Without the calls from witnesses, officials say they never would've known about the crash.

It's not clear what kind of plane is in the woods and right now, the pilot's name isn't being released.

Investigators are trying to figure out where the plane took off from.

"We did call local airports. we had called Orange Airport, the Keene Dillant-Hopkins Airport. They had no reports of any missing aircrafts from this area," said Kellom.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are handling the investigation.

http://www.wmur.com



WINCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire authorities say aircraft, drones and ATVs were used in an hours-long search to find a small plane that crashed in a heavily wooded area. The pilot was found dead.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot was the only person aboard the Extra 300 aircraft Thursday. The pilot's name has not been released.

Authorities said local dispatchers started getting reports at about 11:30 a.m. about a plane crash in Winchester in the southwestern part of the state, near the Massachusetts state line.

The state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency said attempts to search for the downed plane by aircraft were hindered by inclement weather and air rescue efforts were called off. Drones provided by surrounding, fire departments, continued search efforts. Teams entered one area by foot and with ATVs and a firefighter found the plane.



WINCHESTER, New Hampshire (WWLP) – One person is dead after their single engine plane crashed just over the state line in New Hampshire Thursday morning.

Winchester Fire Chief Barry Kellom told 22News that around 11 a.m., dispatch received multiple calls for a plane that sounded like it was having motor troubles and may have crashed in the area of Upper Snow Road.

When emergency crews got there they could not locate the plane.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department were called in.

The Winchester Fire Department sent out multiple ATV’s to search the area.

A state police helicopter was also sent in to look but had to turn around because of severe storms.

At 5 p.m. the plane was found in the area of Warwick Road.

The pilot was the only person believed to be on board.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating this crash.

http://wwlp.com

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