Cessna 150F accident near Suffolk, Virginia, February 7, 2004
On February 7, 2004 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N8745S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Suffolk, Virginia (Suffolk Municipal 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 failure of the number four cylinder barrel due to fatigue which originated from a corrosion pit at the base of a cooling fin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2004 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Suffolk, Virginia · Suffolk Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8745S · no longer on the register · serial 15062045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane was climbing from the airport, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a wooded area, where the airplane collided with trees, and subsequently descended to the ground. Examination of the engine revealed that the number four cylinder had separated at the mid-point on the barrel. Examination of the cylinder revealed that the barrel failed due to fatigue, which originated from a corrosion pit. The engine was overhauled in September 1994, which included the installation of the number four cylinder. The engine had accumulated about 800 hours of total operation since the overhaul.
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; 105 in this make and model; 305 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 24, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,494 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2004; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFQ Suffolk VA at 3:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from SFQ
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.