Cessna 150L accident near Westfield, Massachusetts, August 16, 1997
On August 16, 1997 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N16040, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westfield, Massachusetts (Barnes Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight preparation which fail to include a weight and balance check and his subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1997 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Westfield, Massachusetts · Barnes Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N16040 · no longer on the register · serial 15073433
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed with a passenger and full fuel. A witness observed the accident airplane takeoff and rotate to a 'very high pitch attitude.' The airplane's pitch lowered a little, followed by the left wing, and then the airplane descended and landed nose first in a cornfield next to the runway. The pilot stated that he had not completed weight and balance computations. Weight and balance calculations indicated that the airplane had been loaded above its maximum gross weight limit of 1,600 pounds by 156 pounds. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction with the airplane or the engine.
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: 255 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 235 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BAF at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from BAF
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.