Cessna A150L accident near Quartzsite, Arizona, July 26, 1997
On July 26, 1997 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna A150L, registered N9903G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quartzsite, Arizona. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's decision to land the airplane on a residential street, where the airplane subsequently hit a sign during the landing roll. Factors related to the accident were the student pilot becoming lost/disoriented during his cross country flight and his subsequent panic.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1997 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Quartzsite, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A150L · all A150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N9903G · registry record · serial A1500456
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting his third unsupervised cross-country flight. He stated that the aircraft 'seemed like it was low on fuel.' He said he could not find the Blythe Airport on the VFR sectional. He stated he panicked and circled Quartzsite looking for a place to land the airplane. He finally elected to land on a city street. During the landing rollout, the airplane's wing hit a signpost and the propeller contacted the ground.
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: student
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,539 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1997; 69 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: RYN Ryan AZ at 12:30 pm
- Destination: 1CA4 Blythe AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from BLH, 26 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.
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.