- Date
- April 30, 2005, 14:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- China, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6256RCessna 150F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- PWM FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050430007349A
- Case key
- 61397
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper inflight decision to land in a field instead of a nearby airport, after encountering deteriorating weather conditions. A factor was the deteriorating weather conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While en route to his destination, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions and elected to perform a precautionary landing to a field, "to avoid flight into IMC." During the landing rollout, the airplane encountered a rut in the soft, rain-soaked field, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the Federal Aviation Administration Montreal Sectional Aeronautical Chart revealed several airports along the pilot's planned route of flight.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 2005, at 1410 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N6256R, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing to a field in China, Maine. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight which originated at the Millinocket Municipal Airport (MLT), Millinocket, Maine and was destined for the Berlin Municipal Airport (BML), Berlin, New Hampshire. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, while en route to Berlin, he encountered deteriorating weather conditions earlier than anticipated, based on the weather forecast he obtained from television weather reports he obtained earlier in the day. As the visibility decreased, the pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing to a field, "to avoid flight into IMC conditions." During the landing rollout, the airplane encountered a rut in the soft, rain-soaked field, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over.
Weather conditions reported at Waterville Airport, Waterville, Maine, 5 miles to the northwest of the accident site, at 1415 included winds from 150 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 14 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken cloud layer at 3,100 feet, overcast at 4,900 feet, temperature 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and dew point 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
Examination of the Federal Aviation Administration Montreal Sectional Aeronautical Chart revealed several airports along the pilot's planned route of flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6256R
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15061556
- Airframe hours
- 4,112
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Louis Desmond
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2004 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- MLT · Millinocket, ME
- Destination
- BML · Berlin, NH
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,246 total · 203 in this make and model · 1,105 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- WVL, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6256R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.