Cessna 150 accident near Newton, Kansas, March 6, 1987
On March 6, 1987 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N704QT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newton, Kansas. It was an instructional 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).
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
- March 6, 1987 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newton, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N704QT · no longer on the register · serial 15078796
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STU WAS PRACTICING SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURES AT HIS CFI'S DIRECTION. AS THE STU SIMULATED CORRECTIVE ACTION IN THE COCKPIT TO RESTORE PWR, HE INADVERTENTLY TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF, AND DID NOT TELL THE CFI. NORMALLY THE CFI TERMINATED THE SIMULATED ENG FAILURE AT 500 FEET BUT ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DESCEND BELOW THAT ALTITUDE. FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE, THE CFI INSTRUCTED THE STU TO ADD PWR AND BEGIN A CLIMB. AS THE STU BEGAN TO APPLY PWR, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE CFI TOOK OVER CONTROL, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT ALT TO ASCERTAIN THE PROBLEM AND REGAIN ENGINE PWOER. THE ACFT STALLED DURING THE FORCED LNDG AND THE HARD LNDG COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR. A SUBSEQUENT IMPACT NOSED THE ACFT INVERTED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 540 hours in all; 325 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 494 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,345 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 20, 1987; 28 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: EWK Newton KS at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from ICT, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.