Cessna 150J accident near Douglas, Arizona, February 2, 1988
On February 2, 1988 at about 3:47 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N61305, was destroyed in an accident near Douglas, Arizona. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL/SPIN BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 2, 1988 · about 3:47 pm local time
- Place
- Douglas, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N61305 · no longer on the register · serial 15070951
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND HIS STUDENT, WHO HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE, DEPARTED ON AN EARLY MORNING TRAINING FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE AIRMAN WAS CONTINUING HIS TRAINING TOWARDS A COMMERCIAL AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED MISSING APPROXIMATELY FOUR HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE AND AN AERIAL SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AFTER THE SEARCH BEGAN. THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS TURNING LEFT IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT THE MOMENT OF GROUND CONTACT. THE HORNS OF BOTH CONTROL YOKES WERE BROKEN. THE PROP SHOWED EVIDENCE OF ENGINE POWER AT IMPACT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 75 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,468 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 16, 1987; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P03 Douglas AZ at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from DUG, 3 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.
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.