Cessna 150M accident near Mcallen, Texas, August 12, 1985
On August 12, 1985 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N714DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcallen, Texas (Miller Int'L airport). It was a personal 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
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
- August 12, 1985 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Mcallen, Texas · Miller Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N714DM · registry record · serial 15079096
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LOST ENG PWR WHILE ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12. THE PLT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON ANY RWY AND HE CHOSE RWY 36. (THE SOUTH END OF THIS RWY JOINS RWY 13 AT MIDFIELD). HOWEVER, A STRONG TAIL WIND PREVAILED AND THE ACFT WAS HIGH AND FAST. IT TOUCHED DOWN ON RWY 36, BOUNCED, OVERSHOT THE RWY, AND HIT THREE PALM TREES BEFORE COMING TO REST IN AN AUTOMOBILE PARKING LOT 300 FT BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 36. THE ACFT REPORTEDLY HAD SAT IDLE FOR ABOUT 15 MONTHS BEFORE ITS RECENT PURCHASE BY THE PRESENT OWNERS. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT'S FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED CONTAMINATION BY WATER AND A SOFT CHALKY LIKE UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE WHICH HAD BLOCKED SOME OF THE FUEL PASSAGES IN THE ACFT'S CARBURETOR.
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: 518 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 397 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,267 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 1985; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,103 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW85LA316.