Cessna 150 accident near Masscotte, Florida, March 20, 2015
On March 20, 2015 at about 12:30 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 150, registered N8254S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Masscotte, Florida (Grass Roots Airpark 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat during the flight while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to take off in low visibility conditions, which precluded him from being able to locate a suitable emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2015 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Masscotte, Florida · Grass Roots Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 F, built 1965 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N8254S · no longer on the register · serial 15061854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noninstrument-rated private pilot reported that he took off in the airplane and that the engine lost power about 1,500 ft above ground level. He subsequently conducted a forced landing in woods about 1/2 mile from the airport, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. Witnesses reported hearing the airplane depart the airport but not seeing it because the visibility was limited due to fog in the area. Following the accident, a witness talked to the pilot. He stated that the pilot told him that, after the airplane departed the airport, the engine "sputtered, came back up, and then quit." Further, the pilot reported to a local mechanic that he did not use carburetor heat during the flight. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane, and a postaccident engine examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine had been operating on automotive gasoline. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at glide power, and carburetor icing is more likely to form when an engine is operating on automotive gasoline. Further, the pilot reported that the engine "sputtered," which is consistent with how an engine sounds when carburetor ice has accumulated, and that he did not use carburetor heat during the approximate 15-minute flight. Therefore, it is likely that the airplane lost total engine power due to carburetor icing. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and visibility was about 1/4 mile due to fog. Further, the airport was surrounded by farmland and pastures, and the airplane impacted a stand of trees. Therefore, it is likely that the weather conditions precluded the pilot from being able to locate a suitable emergency landing area.
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 engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 31, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,513.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 SERIES (piston); 1,750 hours total
- Operator: M Air Zedt Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: 06FD Masscotte FL at 12:15 pm
- Destination: ISM Kissimmee FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Sky: vv at 200 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from LEE, 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.