Pilot who died in Gilford plane crash last month identified

GILFORD — On the night a pilot died when his plane crashed into Lake Winnipesaukee last month, the wind was calm and the skies were clear, despite some haze from wildfires. However, the pilot’s logbook indicated a lack of experience flying after dark.

This week, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report of its investigation into that Sept. 30 crash of a Cessna 150K in which the pilot died. There were no other passengers.

Michael Eastman, a captain with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, identified the victim of the crash as Robert W. Ashe Jr., 70, who had recently relocated from Connecticut to West Ossipee.

Eastman said it was his understanding that Ashe was intending to fly to the aviation community in West Ossipee where he lived, but was experiencing engine problems and attempting to turn around so he could land at Laconia Municipal Airport when he crashed.

According to the preliminary NTSB report, Ashe took off from the Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Providence at 6:10 p.m. on Sept. 30. He crashed at 7:42 p.m., after about four minutes into a flight pattern apparently in preparation for landing at Laconia Airport’s runway 26.

The report states: “The airplane continued on the downwind and made a slight left turn when while [sic] over Lake Winnipesaukee. The airplane then entered a descending right turn before it then began to climb. The airplane then entered another descending right turn before radar contact was lost.”

Two witness accounts were included in the report. The first was from a man who was parked on a nearby beach and saw the landing lights of the plane pass by his truck, less than 100 feet above the lake and in a descending right turn. He saw the the airplane hit the water “at an angle.” He said he ran to the edge of the water and called 911. He said the night was dark though the moon was full, as haze from wildfire smoke reduced visibility.

A second witness, also on the beach, said he heard the sound of the plane’s engine and looked up to see the aircraft. He said it was a little “foggy,” but he could see the plane’s green and red position lights, as well as its white landing lights. He said he then heard the plane go “full throttle” as it “dove down” in a turn. He said he told his friends that the plane was going to crash, and seconds later it hit the water, with the engine going “full power.” The second witness then called 911, and got into a boat with friends to see if they could assist.

The plane was found the next morning by Fish and Game, about 3 miles northeast of Laconia Airport, and in 57 feet of water. The report called the damage to the plane “extensive,” but said all of the craft’s components were still attached to the frame via cables. There was no indication of fire. The report noted “several tears” observed on the ignition harness.

Found floating near the plane was the pilot’s flight logbook, and the plane’s maintenance log was found among the wreckage. The plane’s annual inspection was completed on March 12, and the plane at that time had 2,599.6 hours.

Ashe held a private pilot certificate with a rating for a single-engine aircraft, and did not hold an instrument rating. The first entry in the pilot’s logbook was made on Dec. 3, 2020, and the last one was made on Sept. 9, 2023, at which point the pilot had logged a total of 674.8 flight hours. None of the logged flights included any nighttime flying.

According to an obituary, Ashe was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and raised in Billerica. He graduated from Billerica High School, class of 1972, and later studied at Northeastern University. He spent his career as an aerospace engineer, retiring from United Technologies Corporation in 2015. His obituary described him as an “avid aviator” who moved to the West Ossipee aviation community in 2020 — the same year as his first logbook entry. In addition to flying, he enjoyed motorcycling and traveling, whether to see the world or to visit family and friends. He leaves behind two children and two grandchildren.