Cessna 150 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 4, 1988
On August 4, 1988 at about 1:10 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N704UN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Coronado airport). 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).
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
- August 4, 1988 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Coronado
- 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
- N704UN · no longer on the register · serial 15078886
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT PLT WERE ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT. THE CFI RPRTD THAT WHILE CLIMBING THRU APRX 150' AGL, THE ACFT ENCTRD A DOWNDRAFT. HE TOOK THE CONTROLS, BUT THE ACFT DESCENDED TO ABOUT 10 FT AGL. THE CFI ELECTED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID A RESIDENTIAL AREA. DURING ROLLOUT ON ROUGH TERRAIN, THE NOSE WHEEL ENTERED A GULLY & THE ACFT NOSED OVER. OTHER PLTS IN THE AREA REPORTED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AT THE TIME OF THE ACDNT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,873 hours in all; 392 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 2,094 as pilot in command; 627 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,302 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 11, 1988; 48 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: 4AC at 1:08 am
- Destination: 4AC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:49 pm from ABQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.