# Accident 19980802019109A: Cessna 150M, Worthington, MA, August 2, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 2, 1998, 16:15 local time
- Place: Worthington, MA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.3954° N, 72.9424° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Town of Worthington, MA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3954&lon=-72.9424&mi=10
- Aircraft: N704ZY, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N704ZY-1999-04-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 150M (registry code 2071830, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-200 series (registry code 17020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 150M
- Reported engine: CONT O200A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 622 total, 6 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98FA161](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA161) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980802019109A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC98FA161](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA161), Aug 2, 1998: Cessna 150M (N704ZY), Worthington, MA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed due to diverted attention.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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