| Crash location | 44.480000°N, 69.531667°W |
| Nearest city | China, ME
44.413403°N, 69.535320°W 4.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N6256R |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 30 Apr 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 150F |
| Additional details: | None |
On April 30, 2005, at 1410 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150F, N6256R, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing to a field in China, Maine. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight which originated at the Millinocket Municipal Airport (MLT), Millinocket, Maine and was destined for the Berlin Municipal Airport (BML), Berlin, New Hampshire. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, while en route to Berlin, he encountered deteriorating weather conditions earlier than anticipated, based on the weather forecast he obtained from television weather reports he obtained earlier in the day. As the visibility decreased, the pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing to a field, "to avoid flight into IMC conditions." During the landing rollout, the airplane encountered a rut in the soft, rain-soaked field, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over.
Weather conditions reported at Waterville Airport, Waterville, Maine, 5 miles to the northwest of the accident site, at 1415 included winds from 150 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 14 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken cloud layer at 3,100 feet, overcast at 4,900 feet, temperature 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and dew point 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
Examination of the Federal Aviation Administration Montreal Sectional Aeronautical Chart revealed several airports along the pilot's planned route of flight.
The pilot's improper inflight decision to land in a field instead of a nearby airport, after encountering deteriorating weather conditions. A factor was the deteriorating weather conditions.