Cessna 140 accident near Bryan, Texas, November 8, 1987
On November 8, 1987 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 140, registered N72137, was destroyed in an accident near Bryan, Texas (Coulter airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. 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
- November 8, 1987 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Bryan, Texas · Coulter · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N72137 · no longer on the register · serial 9304
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PLT TOOK OFF AT NGT WITH A PASSENGER ABOARD. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE REMAINED IN A LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN & MADE A LOW APCH. WITNESSES RPRTD THE PLT THEN ENTERED A RGT PATTERN, BUT THE ACFT WAS LOWER & SLOWER THAN NORMAL AS IT WAS TURNING ON THE 2ND APCH TO RWY 13. THEY RPRTD THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP RGT BANK & APPEARED TO STALL. BEFORE RECOVERING FROM THE STALL, THE ACFT CRASHED NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 13. INITIAL IMPACT WAS ON A ROADWAY, THEN THE ACFT BOUNCED & HIT A UTILITY POLE BEFORE COMING TO REST ON ARPT PROPERTY. AFTER THE ACDNT, A CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.149% (149 MG/DL). RPRTDLY, HE HAD RECEIVED 6.7 HRS OF NGT INSTRUCTION, BUT HAD ONLY FLOWN ABOUT 1 HR DRG THE PREV 90 DAYS. THE OWNER RPRTD THAT HE DID NOT AUTHORIZE THIS FLT.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,893 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 1987; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,240 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:03 am from CLL, 10 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.
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.