Cessna 150J N60858

Summary

On 14 November 2010 at about 19:15 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N60858, operated by Kelly's Aviation, was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 November 2010 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Ryan Field Airport (RYN)

Coordinates

32.1419, -111.1744

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N60858

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kelly's Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tucson → Tucson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11FA046

1 person died.

The pilot's inability to maintain airplane control while on final approach due to undiagnosed cardiac disease, which caused a medical emergency and subsequent pilot incapacitation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A flight instructor, who was located adjacent to the accident site, reported that the commercial glider pilot was conducting his first solo takeoffs and landings as part of his training to obtain an airplane single-engine add-on rating. The instructor stated that the pilot conducted two uneventful takeoffs and landings and, during the third takeoff and approach to landing, everything looked normal. As the airplane was on short final approach for the runway, the flight instructor observed the airplane pitch downward and descend into terrain near the approach end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the pilot’s medical records revealed that he had longstanding, significant, untreated hypercholesterolemia. An autopsy on the pilot revealed that he had both “severe” coronary atherosclerotic disease and septal hypertrophy; both conditions put him at substantial risk for acute myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Neither event would be detectable by autopsy; however, it is likely that the pilot experienced a medical emergency and was incapacitated during the accident flight, rendering him unable to maintain airplane control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.