3 fatalities

2012 Cessna 172N Collision with Vehicle at Knox County Airport (N6142F)

Owls Head, ME, United States

On November 16, 2012, a CESSNA 172N (registration N6142F) was involved in an aviation accident near Owls Head, ME. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The vehicle driver's failure to verify that the runway was not occupied by an airplane before crossing the runway, which resulted in the vehicle being struck by a departing airplane, and the pilot's continued takeoff with flight control damage, which… This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

On November 16, 2012, a Cessna 172N, N6142F, struck a pickup truck during takeoff at Knox County Airport in Owls Head, Maine. The pilot and two passengers were killed; the vehicle driver was uninjured.

Accident Overview and Flight Details On November 16, 2012, at approximately 1645 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, registration N6142F, sustained substantial damage after colliding with a non-airport vehicle and subsequently impacting terrain during takeoff from Knox County Airport (RKD) in Owls Head, Maine. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, while the driver of the vehicle was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, with an intended destination of Bangor International Airport (BGR).

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotPitch control — Not attained/maintainedAirport personnel

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome