Cessna A185E accident near Lewiston, Maine, January 7, 2015
On January 7, 2015 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna A185E, registered N70037, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Lewiston, Maine (Oxford County Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly set the throttle prior to engine start, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with parked airplanes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 2015 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lewiston, Maine · Oxford County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E, built 1971 · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N70037 · registry record · serial 18501905
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while preparing for the flight, he initiated the engine starting procedure. This procedure included steps to advance the throttle and engage the electric fuel pump, in order to prime the fuel system. A subsequent step required that the throttle setting be reduced to idle position before engaging the starter motor. The pilot stated that for this step, he unintentionally pulled the propeller control out instead of the throttle control, and when he engaged the starter, the engine started and immediately went to full RPM. The airplane then travelled across the ramp and struck two parked airplanes, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's left elevator. The airplane then went through an opening in a snowbank and came to rest about 150 yards from where it initially started. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Ground collision
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,170 hours in all; 1,870 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,144 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 28, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,496 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2014; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 1,588 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 81B Lewiston ME at 2:45 pm
- Destination: RUT Rutland VT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KLEW, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.