Cessna 150M accident near Lonsdale, Minnesota, June 30, 1988
On June 30, 1988 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N63178, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lonsdale, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- June 30, 1988 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lonsdale, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N63178 · registry record · serial 15077156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS EXECUTING A POWER-OFF GLIDE AND WHEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RECOVER BY ADDING POWER, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT WAS THEN FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT A WINGTIP ON THE ROUGH TERRAIN AND CARTWHEELED THE AIRCRAFT. AS A RESULT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR WAS CONTAMINATED WITH A FIBERGLASS SUBSTANCE WHICH BLOCKED THE THROAT OF THE CARBURETOR. THERE WERE NO OTHER SIGNS OF THE SUBSTANCE AND AS A RESULT THE PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE SUBSTANCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 610 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 463 as pilot in command; 15 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,012 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 1988; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1MN8 Webster MN at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from FBL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N63178 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.