Cessna 150F accident near Temple, Texas, June 25, 1988
On June 25, 1988 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N8979S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Temple, Texas (Draughton-Miller 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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
- June 25, 1988 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Temple, Texas · Draughton-Miller · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8979S · registry record · serial 15062279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE DESCENT, THE PILOT APPLIED POWER AND THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENGINE RUNNING AT FULL POWER WITHIN SEVERAL MINUTES BUT IT QUIT COMPLETELY APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED IN TALL GRASS AND FLIPPED FORWARD TO THE INVERTED POSITION. INSPECTION INDICATED FUEL IN THE SYSTEM BUT FUEL IN THE FILTER BOWL WAS CONTAMINATED WITH A FIBER MATERIAL THAT WAS STOPPING THE FUEL FLOW. THE COMPOSITE FLOAT IN THE CARBURETOR WAS ALSO DETERIORATED AND WAS CREATING A RESTRICTION TO THE FUEL FLOW.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,226 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 1,140 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T98 San Marcos TX at 2:15 pm
- Destination: TPL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8979S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW88LA126.