Cessna 150 accident near Old Town, Maine, May 17, 2004
On May 17, 2004 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N7793E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Old Town, Maine (Old Town Municipal 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 abort the takeoff. Factors were the pilot's incorrect assessment of the airplane's weight and the muddy terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2004 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Old Town, Maine · Old Town Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N7793E · no longer on the register · serial 17593
- 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 during the takeoff roll, when the airplane reached about 1/3 the runway's length (about 1,060 feet), he thought it should have been airborne. At 2/3 the runway's length (about 2,120 feet), the pilot knew he had a problem, but "rotated" the airplane at 40 knots and became airborne. After rotation, he felt that the engine was not developing full power, and was "sluggish and lacking horsepower." The pilot briefly employed carburetor heat, then attempted to adjust the engine's mixture control; however, neither adjustment improved the airplane's performance. After bouncing once in a field, the pilot was able to land the airplane on an interstate median, where it nosed over in muddy terrain. There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction. Computation of weight and balance information provided by the pilot revealed that the airplane was 184 pounds over maximum gross weight at takeoff. Performance data revealed that an airplane at maximum gross weight should have been airborne in less than 600 feet of runway distance.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 151 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 106 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 16, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,224 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2003; 91.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLD Old Town ME at 10:07 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,199 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from BGR, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.