Cessna 150G accident near Star Valley, Arizona, November 11, 2022
On November 11, 2022 at about 7:07 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 150G, registered N3131J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Star Valley, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 1 cylinder exhaust or intake valve which resulted in the partial loss of engine power and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2022 · about 7:07 pm local time
- Place
- Star Valley, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150G, built 1966 · all 150Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3131J · no longer on the register · serial 15065831
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was enroute during a cross-country flight when the engine began running rough. He attempted to land in a clearing, but the airplane collided with trees and came to rest inverted before reaching the desired landing area. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 1 cylinder exhaust valve had separated and was imbedded in the face of the No. 1 piston, cracking the piston. A portion of the intake valve was missing, and a portion of a valve was recovered inside the heat exchanger. Either a failed intake or exhaust valve would have resulted in a partial loss of engine power, but damage to the No. 1 piston and its intake and exhaust valves prevented determination of the initiating failure within the cylinder.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,340 hours in all; 1,021 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 4,115 as pilot in command; 1,768 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 29, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,035.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 6,035 hours total
- Operator: Flying Wild Arizona LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KDVT Deer Valley AZ at 6:15 pm
- Destination: KGUP Gallup NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KPAN, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPAN 111855Z AUTO 19005KT 9SM CLR 08/M03 A3021 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 2024. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination Notes | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.