Cessna 150H accident near Mancos, Colorado, January 20, 1991
On January 20, 1991 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N7248S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mancos, Colorado. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES BY CONTINUING THE FLIGHT AT NIGHT AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE STUDENT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1991 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Mancos, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N7248S · no longer on the register · serial 15067948
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY A PREPLANNED CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO PAGE, ARIZONA, AND RETURN TO DURANGO, COLORADO, BEFORE SUNSET. HE BECAME LOST AND LANDED AT CORTEZ, COLORADO. INSTEAD OF TERMINATING THE FLIGHT, HE ELECTED TO TAKEOFF AT NIGHT AND CONTINUE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE FLEW INTO SNOW SHOWERS, AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE WEST SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, WHILE ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING.
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: student
- Flight time: 43 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 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: CEZ Cortez CO
- Destination: 5COO Durango CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.