Cessna 150 accident near Surry, Maine, August 17, 2020
On August 17, 2020 at about 9:15 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 150, registered N45083, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Surry, Maine (Hancock County-Bar Harbor airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power, which resulted in a loss of engine power and a forced ditching in water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2020 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Surry, Maine · Hancock County-Bar Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 M, built 1975 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N45083 · no longer on the register · serial 15076728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the descent into the traffic pattern at the destination airport (after an uneventful cross-country flight en route), the engine sputtered and then lost power while the propeller continued to windmill. The pilot adjusted the throttle and rocked the wings to restart the engine but was unable to restore power. The pilot elected to ditch the airplane near the shoreline in a bay. He and his passenger egressed and swam to the beach, and the airplane partially sank and nosed over after their evacuation. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. After the airplane was recovered to land, postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction. The quantity of fuel that remained on board could not be determined due a substantial amount of salt water that had entered one of the fuel tanks; the other tank contained no fuel or salt water. About 1 gallon of fuel was drained from the gascolator. The pilot believed he utilized about 2 hours and 10 minutes of the available 3 hours of fuel on board. The flight time the pilot reported was consistent with radar data. Review of a carburetor icing probability chart for the given temperature and dew point revealed that the conditions were conducive for serious icing at glide power. The pilot could not recall whether he applied carburetor heat during the descent to land. Postaccident examination of the lever found that it was in the OFF position. The pilot added that applying carburetor heat during flight was something he was not normally accustomed to, given that most of his flight experience was with fuel-injected engines, which do not require carburetor heat. It is likely that the carburetor heat was not utilized for the descent and approach to landing, which likely allowed carburetor ice to form, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
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 (descent)
- Fuel related during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,121 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 6,121 hours total
- Operator: Benjamin Enterprises INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MVL Morrisville VT at 7:15 pm
- Destination: BHB Surry ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from BHB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 19, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memo for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Pilot in Command | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Carburetor Icing Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Kml for Accident Flight | map file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.