Accident Details
On June 18, 2025, about 0922 mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L airplane, registration N6436F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Three Points, Arizona. The student pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
Flight History
A family member of the student pilot reported that the airplane departed from Ryan Field Airport (RYN) in Tucson, Arizona, about 0900 mountain standard time on June 18, 2025. An alert notification (ALNOT) was issued the following day, June 19, 2025, at 1228, after the airplane was reported missing by a family member of the student pilot. The wreckage was located about 1626, approximately 11 miles south of RYN in a rural area with desert vegetation.
Radar Data
Radar data obtained from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base indicated that the first radar return was at 0901 and that the flight duration was about 21 minutes. The flight path was consistent with low-altitude maneuvering, and the wreckage was located about 0.13 miles west of the last radar return.
Wreckage Examination
The main wreckage came to rest upright on its nose with the aft fuselage elevated. The forward cabin and engine sustained upward crushing consistent with impact damage. The fuselage was separated about midway between the rear window and the vertical stabilizer, with the aft fuselage and empennage remaining connected only by flight control cables.
Both wings exhibited aft and upward crushing consistent with impact damage. The left wing remained attached to the fuselage, while the right wing remained partially attached. The right wing aft spar attachment point was separated, consistent with impact damage.
Both propeller blades showed chordwise scratching and leading edge polishing. One propeller blade was bent aft about 45° and exhibited twisting deformation. During recovery, liquid consistent with 100LL aviation fuel was drained from both wing fuel tanks. The right wing fuel tank contained about 4 gallons, and the left wing fuel tank contained about 5 gallons.
Examination Findings
The airplane was recovered from the accident site and transported to a secure facility for further examination. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or engine during the onsite or follow-up wreckage examinations that would have precluded normal operations.