Cessna 150M accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 6, 1987
On May 6, 1987 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N202CR, was destroyed in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was an instructional 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
- May 6, 1987 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N202CR · registry record · serial 15078970
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED HIS RUN UP CHECK WITH 'NORMAL RESULTS.' TEN DEGREES OF FLAPS WERE SET FOR A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF, & DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, 'THE AIRCRAFT RAN NORMAL.' AT APRX 55 MPH 'THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE GROUND AND IMMEDIATELY IT SETTLED DOWN & FINALLY GOT AIRBORNE'. HE THEN MAINTAINED 55 TO 60 MPH & AT APPROX 150 FT. 'THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT WANT TO CLIMB ANY FURTHER'. HE THEN STATED THAT THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE AND CARBURETOR HEAT WERE FULL IN AND HE LOOKED AT THE ENGINE GAUGES AND THE NEEDLE WAS 2000 TO 2100 RPM, 'WITH SLIGHT FLUCTUATIONS BETWEEN THESE NUMBERS', HE THEN CHECKED THE MAGS, BOTH TO LEFT AND RIGHT BUT NO IMPROVEMENT WAS OBTAINED SO HE SWITCHED IT BACK TO BOTH. HE THEN HELD AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT TO TRY TO DITCH IT IN THE LAGOON. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE NATURE OF THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION AS DESCRIBED BY THE PILOT.
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: 21 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 1 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,876 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 10, 1987; 8 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: SIG San Juan PR at 2:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from SJU, 6 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.