Occurrence
On August 18, 2011, at 1900 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22-180, registration N5048Z, collided in the front yard of a private residence near Monmouth, Maine. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The uncertificated pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The departure location and time were not disclosed.
Witness Account
A witness reported that he was mowing his lawn when an airplane crashed into his front yard. The pilot exited the airplane and instructed the witness not to contact the police. The pilot then left the scene and returned a short time later with another individual and a forklift. The airplane was removed from the residence and taken to a storage facility without authorization from law enforcement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Attempts to locate the pilot have been unsuccessful.
Investigation
FAA inspectors traveled to the storage facility to examine the wreckage but did not find the airplane or the pilot. In a telephone conversation with the previous owner of the airplane, he stated that the aircraft was a Piper PA-22-180. He indicated that the airplane was sold to a private individual and provided no further information about the accident or the aircraft. Repeated attempts to locate the airplane and the pilot were unsuccessful.
Review of FAA records revealed that the registration had been canceled by the previous owner and transferred to the new owner on June 30, 2010. No bill of sale was recorded. According to police and witness reports, the pilot at the time of the accident was the current owner of the airplane. FAA records showed no pilot certification for the operator of the accident aircraft.