Cessna 150L accident near Marana, Arizona, March 26, 2021
On March 26, 2021 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 150L, registered N1390Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Marana, Arizona (Pinal Airpark airport). It was a personal 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 improper flare which resulted in a bounced, hard landing and loss of control in a gusting crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2021 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · Pinal Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L, built 1971 · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1390Q · no longer on the register · serial 15072690
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, he was landing the airplane with a gusting right crosswind. Upon landing, the airplane bounced and landed hard. The nose wheel and propeller impacted the ground. The engine truss was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccidentt mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 26.6 in the last 90 days; 9.7 in the last 30 days; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,294.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 2020; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 5,294 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MZJ Marana AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: KAVQ Marana AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,849 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 am from MZJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 1, 2021. 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 (Student Pilot) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Owner) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.