Cessna 172S Ferry Flight Crash in Penobscot River, Maine (N5118J)

Flight Operations and Accident Sequence On January 4, 2010, at 1054 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, N5118J, owned and operated by American King Air Services, Inc., sustained substantial damage after impacting the Penobscot River near Greenbush, Maine. The flight originated from Bangor International Airport (KBGR) at approximately 1018 and was filed under instrument flight rules (IFR) for a planned destination of Goose Bay Airport (CYYR) in Newfoundland, Canada. The pilot, a 77-year-old certificated commercial pilot, was killed in the accident. During the flight, the pilot reported severe turbulence and control difficulties to air traffic control, subsequently requesting to return to KBGR. Radar data indicated the aircraft reversed course near Enfield, Maine, and lost contact approximately one-quarter mile northwest of the accident site at an altitude of 1,200 feet. A witness observed the aircraft flying approximately 100 feet above ground level before impact. The aircraft came to rest upright in the river, with only the tail visible above the ice-covered water at the time of recovery.