Cessna 150F accident near Mesa, Arizona, November 8, 2005
On November 8, 2005 at about 10:54 pm local time, a Cessna 150F, registered N8903S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the flap motor fuse that rendered the flaps inoperable during a critical phase of flight. Factors in the accident were the lack of suitable terrain to perform an emergency landing and the owner's use of nonapproved fuses for the flap motor circuit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2005 · about 10:54 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150F · all 150Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8903S · no longer on the register · serial 15062203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard after the flaps failed to retract in the initial climb following a touch-and-go takeoff. The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and the student pilot, who is also the owner of the airplane, performed several maneuvers prior to returning to the airport to practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The student was flying the airplane throughout the entire landing portion of the touch-and-go until rotation. When the airplane rotated, it pitched up steeply and the CFI took control of the airplane. The CFI realized the flaps would not retract and tried to maintain control of the airplane while the student attempted to change the fuse for the flap motor. The CFI noticed obstructions in their flight path and elected to land in a parking lot. Due to the size of the parking lot, the instructor had to make an intentional hard touchdown to avoid colliding with fencing surrounding the lot. The owner had replaced the fuse for the flap motor several weeks prior to the accident. The original fuse was lost during recovery. During post examination of the wreckage a serviceable fuse was installed for the flap motor. The flap motor operated the right wing flap with no abnormalities noted. A package of fuses other than the manufacturer's recommended fuse type was found in the glove compartment 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,744 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,720 as pilot in command; 870 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from FFZ
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.
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.