What happened
On November 16, 2012, at approximately 1645 EST, a Cessna 172N, registration N6142F, was involved in a fatal accident during takeoff from Knox County Airport (RKD) in Owls Head, Maine. The flight was being conducted under night visual meteorological conditions with the intended destination of Bangor International Airport.
As the aircraft was performing its departure roll at near liftoff speed, it collided with a private pickup truck that was crossing runway 31. The impact caused the right elevator of the aircraft to separate. Following the collision, the aircraft attempted to climb but drifted left of the runway. Witnesses observed the airplane entering a state of slow flight before entering a spin. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain approximately 2,100 feet from the initial collision site and caught fire. The pilot and two passengers sustained 3 fatal injuries. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage of the aircraft and the ground vehicle. The right elevator of the N6142F was found at the initial impact point on the runway, with paint transfer from the vehicle present on the component. The vehicle exhibited impact marks on the left front fender consistent with the size and shape of the airplane's right elevator.
Examination of the aircraft's engine and cockpit revealed thermal damage from a post-impact fire. While the engine showed no evidence of malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation, the right wing and left wing both exhibited various forms of crush and impact damage. The aircraft's wingtip navigation light filaments were found to be stretched, indicating they were illuminated at the time of impact.
Regarding the vehicle, the driver stated he followed another aircraft onto taxiway alpha and proceeded to the hold short line of the runway. The driver reported that he did not see the airplane until after the collision occurred. A handheld radio was found in the vehicle, though it was in the "off" position at the time of discovery.