Cessna 150M accident near Fort Worth, Texas, July 19, 1990
On July 19, 1990 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N704JU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas (Spinks airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1990 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Spinks · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N704JU · no longer on the register · serial 15078655
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT, ON A SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, WENT OFF AN EMBANKMENT, AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, NOSE GEAR FIRST. THE STUDENT PILOT SAID HE FORGOT TO RAISE THE FLAPS DURING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, AND HIS ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED WHEN HE LOOKED DOWN TO RAISE THEM.
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: 20 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,836 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 18, 1990; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWS at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°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.