Cessna 150 accident near Mangum, Oklahoma, December 2, 1987
On December 2, 1987 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N3888V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mangum, Oklahoma (Mangum 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).
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
- December 2, 1987 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mangum, Oklahoma · Mangum · map
- 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
- N3888V · no longer on the register · serial 15076647
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING AND INTENTIONALLY STALLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO SOME TREES TO CUSHION THE IMPACT, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE WAS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 65 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 42 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 25 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: AXS Altus OK at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from LTS
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.