Accident Overview
On July 31, 2025, at approximately 1300 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 150J airplane, registration N60509, was substantially damaged in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska. The aircraft was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The instructor pilot sustained minor injuries, and the pilot receiving instruction suffered serious injuries.
Pilot Accounts
During a postaccident interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the instructor pilot reported that due to his injuries, he was unable to recall the precise circumstances surrounding the accident. He stated that he was conducting a local orientation flight for a pilot visiting Alaska, and that this was the student pilot's first flight in the state. According to the instructor, at the time of the accident they were practicing short and soft field landing maneuvers. An interview with the student pilot is pending due to the severity of his injuries.
Surveillance Video Observations
Archived surveillance video from the Soldotna Airport (SXQ) documented the accident sequence. The airplane departed from runway 7 and remained at a level attitude while flying low over the runway, with its speed steadily increasing. As the aircraft continued low—approximately 50 feet above ground level—and approached the end of runway 7, it pitched up aggressively and climbed in a near-vertical attitude to about 300 feet agl. At the apex of the climb, the airplane rotated toward the left wing on its yaw axis. It then descended in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude heading west. Moments before impact with the surface of runway 25, the nose-down descent appeared to shallow slightly.
Damage and Wreckage Examination
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. A detailed NTSB wreckage examination is pending.