Biplane crash at Knox County airport called ‘aborted take-off’ by Owls Head Transportation Museum

Mon, 08/25/2014 - 11:45am

Story Location:
23 Terminal Lane
Owls Head, ME 04854
United States

    OWLS HEAD — The Owls Head Transportation Museums’ Barnstormers Ball was just getting into full swing early Saturday evening, when word came across police scanners that a plane had crashed at Knox County Regional Airport.

    As first responders from Owls Head and South Thomaston arrived on scene Aug. 22, they quickly learned that it was a minor crash.

    According to the museum, the Federal Aviation Administration was notified and will issue a report about the incident, which the museum is calling an aborted take-off, not a crash.

    The 1930 Pitcairn PA 7S mailwing, with its single occupant, the pilot, was participating in the fundraising event when the pilot made the decision to abort take-off. The biplane sustained minor damage and the pilot was uninjured.

    The museum issued the following statement later Monday afternoon:

    On Aug. 23, around 6:20 p.m., a contingent of four vintage biplanes from the Owls Head Transportation Museum collection were slated to perform a flyover of the museum's Barnstormers Ball. One aircraft, a 1930 Pitcairn PA-7S Sport Mailwing experienced mechanical difficulties and the pilot chose to abort takeoff.

    The pilot was the lone occupant of the aircraft and no injuries whatsoever were sustained. The aircraft sustained minor damage and was removed from the scene by museum staff and volunteers. It will undergo repair in the museum's aircraft restoration hangar and is expected to be flying again for the 2015 season.

    Representatives from the FAA visited OHTM on Monday, Aug. 25 to perform a routine inspection of the aircraft, the representatives classified the occurrence as an "incident." Under FAA guidelines an incident is equated to an aircraft-involved situation where very minimal damage occurs.

    This incident was not a crash or crash-landing.


    Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or 706-6655.