Cessna 150 accident near Lees Summit, Missouri, August 8, 1988
On August 8, 1988 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 150, registered N51390, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lees Summit, Missouri (Lees Summit airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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 8, 1988 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Lees Summit, Missouri · Lees Summit · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N51390 · registry record · serial 15069971
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, ON A TOUCH AND GO, AFTER A FULL FLAP LANDING, THE CFI AND STUDENT SAID THEY HEARD A LOUD BANG ABOUT 150 AGL ON CLIMBOUT. THE CFI TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND SAID THEY WERE NONRESPONSIVE IN PITCH. FULL THROTTLE WAS MAINTAINED AND THEY TURNED CROSSWIND, TO DOWNWIND, IN A ATTEMPT TO RETURN FOR LDG. THEY REPORTED AN INABILITY TO EXCEED 60 TO 65 MPH IAS. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED IN A FIELD. DURING THE ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A FARM FENCE. POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED A PARTIALLY SEPARATED EMPENNAGE. DAMAGED AREA REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE. THE CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. A POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN-UP WAS NORMAL CONSIDERING THE DAMAGED PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BURNING AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE ALTHOUGH NO STC HAD BEEN ISSUED TO THIS AIRCRAFT.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 738 hours in all; 52 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,264 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1987; 102 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: K84 Lees Summit MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.