Cessna 150M accident near Atchison, Kansas, August 4, 1987
On August 4, 1987 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N714MB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atchison, Kansas (Amelia Earhart 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).
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
- August 4, 1987 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Atchison, Kansas · Amelia Earhart · 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
- N714MB · no longer on the register · serial 15079272
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED 2 LANDINGS. ON THE THIRD LANDING THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY'S CENTERLINE, VEERED RIGHT AND OFF THE RUNWAY. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS/FAILURES.
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: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,115 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trailwinds Flying Club
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,000 ft by 48 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.