Cessna 150 accident near Winchester, Virginia, January 14, 1989
On January 14, 1989 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N714CR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winchester, Virginia. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. SOFT TERRAIN WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1989 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Winchester, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N714CR · registry record · serial 15079078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND STUDENT WERE PRACTICING MANUEVERS AT 3000 FT MSL FOR ABOUT 40 MINUTES. THE CFI SAID THERE WAS AN ENGINE RPM DROP, BUT IT WAS RESTORED WHEN CARB HEAT WAS USED. THE CARB HEAT WAS KEPT ON. THE CFI SAID HE DESCENDED TO 1000 FT AGL AND POWER WAS REDUCED TO 2000 RPM. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE CFI NOTICED THE POWER HAD DROPPED TO ABOUT 1500 TO 1800 RPM AND ALTITUDE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. DRG A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD, THE NOSEWHEEL DUG IN & THE ACFT NOSED OVER.A POST-ACDNT OPERATIONAL TEST OF THE ENG REVEALED SATISFACTORY OPERATION AFTER IT WAS STARTED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. APRX 18 MI NORTHEAST AT MARTINSBURG, WV, THE 1257 EST TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 35 & 15 DEG, RESPECTIVELY.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,741 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2,574 as pilot in command; 2,181 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1988; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tel Aero INC.
The flight
- Departed from: W09 Leesburg VA at 4:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:57 pm from MRB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO89LA015.