Cessna 150 accident near Prescott, Arizona, January 25, 2020
On January 25, 2020 at about 7:35 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 150, registered N31ER, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Prescott, Arizona (Prescott Rgnl - Ernest A Love airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's improper approach and landing flare, which resulted in a stall and a subsequent hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2020 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Prescott Rgnl - Ernest A Love · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 E, built 1964 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N31ER · registry record · serial 15061072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the descent for a touch-and-go landing, the airplane was not descending, and he noticed that the airplane was high on the approach. The pilot trimmed the airplane for a more nose-down attitude and extended the flaps to 40°. Throughout the descent, the pilot had a difficult time controlling the airplane as it encountered updrafts and a tailwind. After passing the touchdown point on the runway, the airplane stalled, landed hard, and bounced several times. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount assembly. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 139 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 93 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,841 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 12, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 SERIES (piston); 7,370 hours total
- Operator: Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PRC Prescott AZ
- Destination: PRC Prescott AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21R, 4,846 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KPRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N31ER 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.