Cessna 150J accident near Marana, Arizona, January 8, 2005
On January 8, 2005 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N51256, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marana, Arizona (Marana Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate altitude and clearance from obstructions that resulted in an in-flight collision with power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2005 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · Marana Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N51256 · registry record · serial 15069875
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with power lines while maneuvering at low altitude. The airplane owner said the pilot had stopped by his residence around 0600 on the morning of the accident to ask if he could take the owner's daughter on the flight. The owner indicated that it was too early to get her up, so the pilot went to the airport by himself. Around the time of the accident the owner and his spouse were in their front yard with their coffee and newspaper walking towards the back of the house when they saw the accident airplane. The airplane made one low pass over them. On the second pass, the airplane was headed to the west, and crossed over the north-to-south power lines. They continued toward the back of their house as the airplane made the turn back toward the house. The owner then heard the sounds of the airplane contacting the power lines. As he came to the front of the house, the owner saw the airplane coming to its final resting place about 150 feet from the power lines with its nose in the ground. The poles that held the lines were measured at a height of 47 feet above ground level. The static power lines were about 2 feet below that, at a height of 45 feet. The most westerly static power line had been cut. The other cable wrapped around the airplane; however, it remained connected to the poles. The airframe and engine were inspected. Investigators established flight control continuity and engine continuity. There were no mechanical anomalies found that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 550 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,084.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2004; 5,084.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVQ Marana AZ
- Destination: AVQ Marana AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from TUS, 24 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N51256 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.