N6436FCessna A150L · 1973

On June 18, 2025, about 0922 mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L airplane, N6436F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Three Points, Arizona. The student pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

A family member of the student pilot reported that the airplane departed from Ryan Field Airport (RYN), 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, when the airplane was reported missing by a family member of the student pilot. The wreckage was located about 1626, about 11 miles south of RYN in a rural area with desert vegetation.

Radar data obtained from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base revealed that the first radar return was at 0901 and that the duration of the flight 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. Figure 1 depicts the airplane’s flight path in magenta and the ground path in green.

Figure 1. Flight and ground path

The main wreckage came to rest upright on its nose and the aft fuselage was 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. The aft fuselage and empennage remained connected only by the flight control cables.

Both wings exhibited aft and upward crushing consistent with impact damage. The left wing remained attached to the fuselage, and the right wing remained partially attached. The right wing aft spar attachment point was separated, consistent with impact damage.

Both propeller blades exhibited chordwise scratching and leading edge polishing. One of the propeller blades 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.

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.