Cessna 150F accident near Fremont, Missouri, March 28, 1987
On March 28, 1987 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N6978F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fremont, Missouri. 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
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 28, 1987 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fremont, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6978F · no longer on the register · serial 15063578
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT GOT OFF COURSE ON THE FIRST LEG OF HIS SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. HE LANDED AT AN AIRPORT FOR FUEL AND DIRECTIONS, BUT THE AIRPORT WAS DESERTED. WHEN HE DEPARTED FOR A NEARBY AIRPORT, HE COULD NOT FIND THAT AIRPORT. AFTER THE STUDENT PILOT CALLED THEM ON UNICOM, THEY ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE HIS POSITION BY VISUAL REFERENCES AND ALSO SENT AN AIRPLANE TO ASSIST. WHEN THE STUDENT PILOT STARTED HAVING COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS, HE REALIZED HE WAS GOING AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD. HE TOUCHED DOWN LONG, DECIDED AGAINST A GO-AROUND AND WENT THROUGH TWO FENCES AND HIT A TREE.
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: 51 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no 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-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H5 Willow Springs MO at 7:45 pm
- Destination: H63 West Plains MO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 235° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°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.