Cessna 150M accident near Garfield, Colorado, April 14, 1988
On April 14, 1988 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N714BK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garfield, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 1988 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Garfield, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N714BK · registry record · serial 15079048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS FERRYING HIS ACFT FROM BURLINGTON, NC TO KELSO, WA. AFTER REFUELING HIS ACFT TO CAPACITY (26 GAL.), HE STAYED OVERNIGHT IN LAMAR, CO. HE DEPARTED LAMAR THE NEXT MORNING AT 0800. HE PASSED PUEBLO, CO AT 7500 FT., AND OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS FSS. HE CROSSED SALIDA, CO AT 9700 FT. AND CONTINUED TOWARDS MONARCH PASS. THE PLT SAID HE REALIZED THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLEAR MONARCH PASS (ELEVATION 11,312 FT. MSL) AND HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN AROUND. THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN, SNOW-COVERED FIELD AT THE 10,400 FT LEVEL, NEAR THE SUMMIT OF MONARCH PASS, ABOUT 2 MI SW OF GARFIELD, CO. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT OVERTURNED IN THE DEEP SNOW. STRAIGHT LINE DISTANCE FROM LAMAR, CO TO THE CRASH SITE IS APRX 175 SM. COMPUTED DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE CRASH SITE WAS APRX 10,700 FT MSL.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,100 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,200 as pilot in command; 1,066 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 7, 1987; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAA Lamar CO at 2:00 pm
- Destination: MTJ Montrose CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from COS, 78 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 DEN88LA095.