Cessna 150D accident near Central City, Nebraska, February 1, 1987
On February 1, 1987 at about 9:05 am local time, a Cessna 150D, registered N4372U, was destroyed in an accident near Central City, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1987 · about 9:05 am local time
- Place
- Central City, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150D · all 150Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4372U · registry record · serial 15060372
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 0305 CST, WITNESSES IN VEHICLES SAW THE ACFT LNDG LGT AS THEY WERE DRIVING ALONG A HWY. THEY RPRTD THE LGT WAS MOVING ERRATICALLY AS THE ACFT WAS PROCEEDING ALONG THE HWY AT LOW ALT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STRUCK A UTILITY POLE & POWER LINES, THEN CRASHED & BURNED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND DRG THE INVESTIGATION. THE OWNER TOLD THE PLT, WHO WAS A MECHANIC, TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON THE ACFT, BUT NOT TO FLY IT. A MEDICAL EXAM INDICATED THE OCCUPANTS DIED IMMEDIATELY FROM THERMAL BURNS. A BLOOD CHECK OF THE PLT & PAX SHOWED ALCOHOL LVLS OF 0.143% & 0.198%, RESPECTIVELY. THE PLT'S LAST MED CERT WAS DATED 10/31/84.
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: 1,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 9, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 07K Central City NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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 MKC87FA044.