Cessna 150M accident near Honolulu, Hawaii, May 14, 1987
On May 14, 1987 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N704QH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Honolulu, Hawaii (Ford Island 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).
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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
- May 14, 1987 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Honolulu, Hawaii · Ford Island · 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
- N704QH · registry record · serial 15078786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT AND CFI LANDED AT FORD ISLAND AND THE CFI DEPLANED TO OBSERVE THE STUDENT PERFORM SOLO LANDINGS. THE STUDENTEXECUTED ONE TAKEOFF AND LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE SECOND APPROACH THE STUDENT ELECTED TO MAKE A GO-AROUND. HE USED FULL FLAPS FOR THE APPROACH AND DID NOT RAISE THE FLAPS FOR THE GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE, BUT THE PILOT RETAINED CONTROL AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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
- Flight time: 88 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z02 at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from HNL, 4 miles away
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.
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 LAX87LA205.