Cessna 150 accident near Paxton, Massachusetts, July 5, 2004
On July 5, 2004, a Cessna 150, registered N5058R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paxton, Massachusetts (Spencer 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. Factors included the pilot's use of a fuel gauge that was calibrated for a different model airplane, and a lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2004
- Place
- Paxton, Massachusetts · Spencer Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N5058R · no longer on the register · serial 15066082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the preflight inspection of the airplane, the pilot, through the use of a stick-type fuel gage, determined that the right fuel tank contained 7 gallons of fuel, and that the left fuel tank was full. While he had flown the route in the past, on the accident flight, he climbed the airplane to 8,500 feet, which he had never done before, and subsequently descended incrementally until in the vicinity of the destination airport. During the final descent, and after 2 hours 44 minutes of flight, the engine stopped and could not be restarted. Due to the terrain, the pilot performed a forced landing into trees. Based on previous flights, he had planned that the engine to consume an average of 6 gallons of fuel per hour, and for the total flight time to be 2 hours 40 minutes. The fuel gauge, which the pilot used to determine the amount of fuel onboard prior to takeoff, was calibrated for a different model airplane that had the same size fuel tank, but a greater amount of useable fuel than the accident airplane.
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: 420 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,979 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 26, 2004; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3B1 Greenville ME at 10:05 pm
- Destination: 60M Spencer MA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.