Cessna 150J accident near Tucson, Arizona, November 14, 2010
On November 14, 2010 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60858, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Tucson, Arizona (Ryan Field Airport). It was an instructional 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 pilot's inability to maintain airplane control while on final approach due to undiagnosed cardiac disease, which caused a medical emergency and subsequent pilot incapacitation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2010 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Ryan Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60858 · no longer on the register · serial 15070625
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight instructor, who was located adjacent to the accident site, reported that the commercial glider pilot was conducting his first solo takeoffs and landings as part of his training to obtain an airplane single-engine add-on rating. The instructor stated that the pilot conducted two uneventful takeoffs and landings and, during the third takeoff and approach to landing, everything looked normal. As the airplane was on short final approach for the runway, the flight instructor observed the airplane pitch downward and descend into terrain near the approach end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the pilot’s medical records revealed that he had longstanding, significant, untreated hypercholesterolemia. An autopsy on the pilot revealed that he had both “severe” coronary atherosclerotic disease and septal hypertrophy; both conditions put him at substantial risk for acute myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Neither event would be detectable by autopsy; however, it is likely that the pilot experienced a medical emergency and was incapacitated during the accident flight, rendering him unable to maintain airplane control.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (IFR final approach)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot, student
- Ratings: instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 284 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,083 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 15, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kelly'S Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: RYN Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:04 pm from RYN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.