Plane Crash Kills Maine Game Warden

State’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife says the accident happened near Avon on Tuesday morning.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 05:00 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Officials identified the victim as Maine Warden Service pilot Joshua Tibbetts, 50. [Credit: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife]

Key Takeaways:

A Maine game warden pilot, Joshua Tibbetts, 50, died in a plane crash in Avon, Maine, on Tuesday morning.
Tibbetts was the sole occupant of the Cessna 185F Skywagon, which witnesses reported struggling against heavy winds before crashing into a mountain.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and Governor Janet Mills expressed deep condolences for the "devastating loss."

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A plane crash in Avon, Maine, on Tuesday morning resulted in the death of a game warden, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW) said.

In a statement to social media, the MDIFW said it was “heartbroken” to share news of the crash, which it said happened near Schoolhouse Pond in Avon, Maine. It said the crash occurred around 11 a.m. EDT and later identified the victim as Maine Warden Service pilot Joshua Tibbetts, 50, per WMTW-TV in Portland, Maine.