Maine Warden Service Pilot Dies in Plane Crash During Routine Mission
A Maine Warden Service pilot, Joshua Tibbetts, died in a plane crash near Schoolhouse Pond in Avon, Maine. The incident occurred while Tibbetts was on a routine mission to stock fish in western Maine's waterways. Tibbetts, who was alone in the aircraft, did not send a distress signal before the crash. The plane, a 1980 Cessna 185 Skywagon, sent an automated distress message upon impact, prompting emergency response. Tibbetts had been with the warden service since 2008 and was promoted to pilot in November 2023. This marks the 16th line-of-duty death in the agency's 146-year history and the fourth pilot fatality. The Maine Department of Public Safety, along with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board, is investigating the crash.