Preliminary report details events leading to plane crash that killed Maine Warden Service pilot

[](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/TIBBETTS_JOSHUA.jpg) Maine Warden Service pilot Joshua Tibbetts died May 12 after his plane crashed in Avon. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will take another year or two before it completes its investigation of the crash. (Courtesy of Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife) The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released a preliminary report on the plane crash in Franklin County last month that claimed the life of a Maine Warden Service pilot. The report outlines the path of the plane piloted by Joshua Tibbetts, 50, as well as the damage it sustained during the crash on May 12, but does not provide a cause for the crash. In its report, the board said it was informed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife that the plane took off from Crystal Lake in Harrison and headed to Rangeley Lake to load fish and stock another body of water. The report states that the Cessna A185F departed Rangeley Lake around 10:30 a.m., loaded with about 42 pounds of fish and 12 gallons of water in its right pod. It says the plane had two fish pods, one mounted to each of the seaplane’s floats. The plane flew southeast about 21 miles to Schoolhouse Pond, the body of water that was to be stocked, according to the report. It continued flying about 1.5 miles east of the pond, turned left, and flew along the pond’s eastern shore. Advertisement Related [Veteran Maine game warden dies in Franklin County plane crash](https://www.sunjournal.com/2026/05/12/maine-warden-service-plane-crashes-in-avon/) “The final data points showed the airplane in a right turn about 400 yards southwest of Schoolhouse Pond,” the report states, and the crash occurred at about 10:58 a.m. The wreckage was found near Avon, in a densely wooded area about 400 yards southwest of the pond, according to the report. “The airplane came to rest in a nose down attitude,” the report states, and the floats remained attached to the fuselage. Fish from the stocking operation were found in the right fish pod and on the ground adjacent to it, according to the report. Related [Game warden remembered as dedicated officer, pilot, friend](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/13/game-warden-remembered-as-dedicated-officer-pilot-friend/) The report details the substantial damage to the craft, including to the wings, which “were displaced forward and partially separated” from the body of the plane. The report states that the pilot and copilot seats, as well as the instrument panel, were also damaged by the impact, that the engine was “partially separated from the firewall,” and the plane’s propeller was separated from the engine. The report says multiple tree branches were found near the wreckage, which “exhibited angular separations with paint transfer marks at their separation areas.” Wind speeds at the time of the crash were about 13 knots, with gusts up ot 25 knots, according to the report. Advertisement Related [Maine game warden killed in plane crash honored: ‘Josh will never be forgotten’](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/21/service-honors-game-warden-killed-in-plane-crash-josh-will-never-be-forgotten/) Tibbetts served 18 years with the Maine Warden Service, the last three as a pilot. He worked as a deputy for the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department before pivoting to the warden service in 2008. He became a pilot in 2023. His father, Doug Tibbetts, was a longtime game warden in central Maine. Following the crash, Joshua Tibbetts was [remembered by friends](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/13/game-warden-remembered-as-dedicated-officer-pilot-friend/) and colleagues as “cool-headed” in a crisis and “always smiling.” In his free time, Tibbetts was an avid hunter and snowmobiler. Hundreds gathered to [celebrate and honor](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/21/service-honors-game-warden-killed-in-plane-crash-josh-will-never-be-forgotten/) Tibbetts at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor following his death. He was the 16th game warden and fourth pilot to die in the line of duty in the agency’s 146-year history. According to its website, the NTSB aims to complete its investigations within one to two years of the incident. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [maine warden service](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-warden-service/), [plane crash](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/plane-crash/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-johnson) [Drew JohnsonStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-johnson) Drew is the night reporter for the Portland Press Herald. He previously covered South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth for the Sentry, Leader and Southern Forecaster. Though he is from Massachusetts,. [More by Drew Johnson](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-johnson)