Cessna 150 accident near St. Agatha, Maine, October 26, 2024
On October 26, 2024 at about 2:04 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 150, registered N22197, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near St. Agatha, Maine. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice as a result of the pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat while operating in environmental conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2024 · about 2:04 pm local time
- Place
- St. Agatha, Maine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 H, built 1967 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N22197 · registry record · serial 15068133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 15 minutes into the flight, while flying at 2,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the airplane encountered environmental conditions that were favorable for the formation of serious carburetor ice at cruise engine power settings. The flight continued and the pilot noted that the engine’s output dropped from about 2,300 rpm to about 1,500 rpm. He applied carburetor heat and left it applied, cycled the fuel shutoff valve, pumped the throttle, and checked the ignition switch, but those efforts did not restore power. After descending to 2,000 ft msl, he turned to return to the departure airport but performed a forced landing in a field after recognizing the flight was unable to reach the departure airport. The nose landing gear collapsed during the landing roll after encountering a furrow, resulting in substantial damage to the engine mount and right wing. Postaccident examination of the engine and its systems revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. A High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model sounding created for the approximate time and location where the pilot reported the airplane began descending consistent with the reported loss of engine power revealed that the temperature and dew point were 34.5° F and 33.8° F, respectively. The values were close to 100% relative humidity. Thus, it is likely that during cruise flight carburetor ice formed and subsequently resulted in the reported loss of engine power. The pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat during the cruise portion of the flight while operating in environmental conditions favorable for serious carburetor ice at cruise power allowed for the formation 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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 153 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 72 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 13, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,236 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 2024; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 4,176 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FVE Frenchville ME at 1:45 pm
- Destination: HUL Houlton ME
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KFVE, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFVE 261353Z AUTO 21005KT 10SM BKN019 OVC024 03/00 A2975 RMK AO2 RAB1259E16 SLP079 P0000 T00330000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N22197 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA028.