Cessna 150M accident near Tucson, Arizona, May 18, 2006
On May 18, 2006 at about 12:59 pm local time, a Cessna 150M, registered N63149, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Ryan Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control and the certified flight instructor's delayed remedial actions and inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2006 · about 12:59 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Ryan Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150M · all 150Ms on the register
- Registration
- N63149 · registry record · serial 15077138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway and ground looped during landing. The purpose of the flight was to practice soft field landings. The instructor indicated that the first two landings resulted in hard touchdowns. On the third landing, he instructed the student to perform a landing flare without touching down on the runway surface, and then to execute a go-around. The student pilot allowed the airplane's landing gear to touchdown; left main landing gear first, then the right main landing gear. The instructor told the student to maintain backpressure on the yoke to keep the nose landing gear from touching down; however, the nose landing gear touched down anyway and the airplane started to drift to the left. The instructor told the student to apply full power to execute a go-around. The student pilot applied full power and the airplane veered to the left. As the airplane was departing the runway surface, the instructor took the flight controls and the left wing tip struck the soft dirt. As he attempted to correct the turn to the left, the airplane's right wing contacted the runway surface. The airplane came to rest on the runway. The instructor stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,356 hours in all; 552 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,281 as pilot in command; 1,742 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 64 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 5:30 am
- Destination: RYN Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6L, 4,900 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from TUS, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N63149 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.