NTSB Factual Report

On September 30, 2004, about 1900 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with a power line and terrain following an in-flight loss of engine power during initial climb from a private airstrip near Durand, Michigan. The personal flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The pilot reported the flight originated at 1850 from the private airstrip and was destined for the Owosso Community Airport, near Owosso, Michigan.

The pilot's accident report stated:

I called my mechanic ... to explain my engine 'intermittently'

'missing' [and] RPM falling. On 9-27-04, he asked the details of

it. It felt to me like a '[magneto]' cutting in [and] out. He said to

fly it to his shop on 9-30-04 to check it out in Owosso,

[Michigan].

I decided to take it over [at] 7 PM on the 29th of [September]. I had

done (1) one takeoff [and] landing to [check] it out. The second

takeoff North almost [zero] wind, [the engine] cut out, no power [and]

was about only 60 [feet] up ... . It struck a Consumers Power cable with

the [right] wheel, not really knowing what may be damaged, I put

it down in a field [and] got it stopped, and shut it down [and]

walked home.

A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the airplane. A stabilizer spar was found damaged. The engine was found to have malfunctioned during the flight.

The pilot reported that his mechanic found a compression ring was broken and that an exhaust valve was elongated. He reported the parts accumulated 3,450 hours and 1,424.2 since overhaul.

NTSB Probable Cause

The elongated exhaust valve leading to the in-flight loss of engine power during initial climb. A factor was the transmission wire the airplane impacted during its emergency landing after takeoff.