Cessna 150M accident near Margarettsville, North Carolina, November 4, 2021
On November 4, 2021 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 150M, registered N704HQ, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Margarettsville, North Carolina. 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 delayed application of carburetor heat during the descent, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2021 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Margarettsville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M, built 1976 · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N704HQ · no longer on the register · serial 15078627
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a flight at night and in visual meteorological conditions, after descending to about 1,600 ft mean sea level on a localizer approach, the engine began to “sputter.” The pilot applied the carburetor heat, and the engine “got a little surge of power” and he pushed the carburetor heat back in (OFF). The engine sputtered again, and he re-applied the carburetor heat. He then raised the nose to gain altitude, and the engine stopped completely. The pilot attempted to perform a forced landing to a road; however, the airplane came to rest in a tree canopy about 10 nautical miles southeast of the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the right aileron, and the horizontal stabilizers. A postaccident examination of the wreckage, and a test run of the airplane’s engine, revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of weather conditions indicated the potential for serious icing at cruise power for the reported temperature and dew point; therefore, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor ice.
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
- Fuel related during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 755 hours in all; 47 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 755 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,556 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 2021; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 3,656 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGJ St. Augustine FL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: EMV Emporia VA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from EMV, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEMV 042335Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM BKN055 OVC100 06/05 A3026 RMK AO2 T00570051
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 7, 2023. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Information from FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Wreckage Examination Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Video of Engine Run | MOV 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.