Cessna 150M accident near Hancock, Massachusetts, May 10, 1985
On May 10, 1985 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N3550V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hancock, Massachusetts. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1985 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hancock, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N3550V · no longer on the register · serial 15076544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS UNDER CONTRACT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT. IT WAS BEING USED FOR AERIAL OBSERVATION OF FOREST FIRES & FOR THE DISPOSITION OF GROUND FIRE FIGHTING PERSONEL & EQUIPMENT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT WHILE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO FIND A SUITABLE ACCESS ROAD, THE LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE TOPS OF TREES. HE STATED THAT THE TERRAIN ROSE FASTER THAN THE ACFT WOULD CLIMB.
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: 776 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,467 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Turner Falls MA at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.