NTSB BFO87LA033 — 1987-04-28 · ROANOKE, Virginia, United States

Current FAA registration · N3043S

Make / Model: CESSNA 140
Year of manufacture: 1947 · 40 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR C85-12F (85 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20070629
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A33100

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N3043S Cessna 150G None

Factual narrative

WHILE ENROUTE FROM GAITHERSBURG, MD, TO BLACKSBURG, VA, THE PLT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ROANOKE, VA, DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA. ON X-WIND LEG TO RWY 33 AT ROANOKE THE ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. AFT CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED IT SMOOTHED OUT BUT QUIT COMPLETELY ON EXTENDED FINAL. DURING THE FORCED LNDG THE ACFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DMGD. EXAM OF THE FUEL TKS REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE RT TK AND 2 GALS IN THE LEFT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE FLEW THE ACFT AT FULL RICH AT ALL TIMES DURING THE FLT AND THAT HE RAN INTO STRONGER THAN FORECAST HEADWINDS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_BFO87LA033.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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