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19980802019109A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 150M · Worthington, MA · August 2, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 2, 1998 · 16:15 local
Place
Worthington, MA
Phase of flight
Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N704ZY
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC98FA161
Reported as
Cessna 150M
Reported engine
Continental O200A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
622 total6 in this make and model
N704ZYRegistration cancelled Apr 28, 1999 · Cessna 150MS/N 15079014 · Built 1976Airframe modelCessna 150MEngine modelContinental 0-200 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Photo flight flying lower than surrounding hills. Engine sputtered. Struck trees on hillside. Engine was running. (-23) on aug. 5, '98 about 1615 EDT, a Cessna 150M, N704ZY, was destroyed when it struck the ground in Worthington, MA. The certificated pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The purpose of the flight was to take aerial photographs of an outdoor concert. Witnesses observed the airplane circling over the area at progressively lower altitude. Several witnesses reported to have heard the engine running rough, followed a few seconds later by the sound of the impact. The airplane had struck the tip of a tree about 75 feet above the ground and impacted on the ground on it's left side. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The flap actuator indicated approximately 20-30 degrees down. Fuel was found in both wing tanks. Three pieces of cut wood were found at the base of the tree. The wood measured 12 inches in length. On aug. 5, 1998 the airplane was removed from the site and taken to barnes municipal airport. The fuselage was secured to a tow truck ramp and the engine started. Take-off power was achieved with no indication o f a rough running engine.

As the FAA filed it

PHOTO FLIGHT FLYING LOWER THAN SURROUNDING HILLS. ENGINE SPUTTERED. STRUCK TREES ON HILLSIDE. ENGINE WAS RUNNING. (-23) ON AUG. 5, '98 ABOUT 1615 EDT, A CESSNA 150M, N704ZY, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND IN WORTHINGTON, MA. THE CERTIFICATED PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TAKE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF AN OUTDOOR CONCERT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CIRCLING OVER THE AREA AT PROGRESSIVELY LOWER ALTITUDE. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED TO HAVE HEARD THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH, FOLLOWED A FEW SECONDS LATER BY THE SOUND OF THE IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE HAD STRUCK THE TIP OF A TREE ABOUT 75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND IMPACTED ON THE GROUND ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. THE FLAP ACTUATOR INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 20-30 DEGREES DOWN. FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH WING TANKS. THREE PIECES OF CUT WOOD WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE TREE. THE WOOD MEASURED 12 INCHES IN LENGTH. ON AUG. 5, 1998 THE AIRPLANE WAS REMOVED FROM THE SITE AND TAKEN TO BARNES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE FUSELAGE WAS SECURED TO A TOW TRUCK RAMP AND THE ENGINE STARTED. TAKE-OFF POWER WAS ACHIEVED WITH NO INDICATION O F A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC98FA161Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportWorthington, MAThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed due to diverted attention.Aug 2, 1998 · Destroyed