What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 4, 2026, at approximately 1808 mountain standard time, Cessna 150, privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged after striking power lines while attempting to land on runway 23 at Coolidge Municipal Airport (P08), Coolidge, Arizona. The flight was a local flight conducted under visual meteorological conditions. There were two occupants on board: one pilot and one passenger. The passenger sustained a minor injury (broken arm); the pilot was uninjured.
According to the pilot, the flight departed runway 5 and proceeded approximately eight miles south of the airport, where the pilot conducted several training maneuvers, including steep turns, slow flight, and practice stalls. After completing the maneuvers, the pilot returned to Coolidge airport with the intention of entering a crosswind for a left downwind to runway 5.
Upon returning to the airport area, the pilot observed three aircraft operating in the traffic pattern for runway 23. The pilot reported joining a five-mile final approach for runway 23 and stated that visibility was degraded due to sun glare. On short final, the pilot reported that the runway environment became visible and that the aircraft was lower than expected. The pilot added engine power in an attempt to correct the low approach and observed an orange marker ball; however, the pilot did not see the associated power lines. Pilot report he did not see the PAPI lights, but the PAPI was confirmed to be working correctly by the airport manager.
The aircraft subsequently struck the power lines, resulting in a sudden yaw to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and was able to momentarily realign the aircraft, but reported insufficient airspeed and an uncontrollable descent. The aircraft impacted terrain, cartwheeled through brush and trees, and came to rest in a drainage ditch.
After the aircraft came to rest, the pilot checked on the passenger, exited the aircraft, shut off the master switch to reduce fire risk, and called 911. Emergency responders transported the passenger to a local hospital, where they were treated and released the following day. The injury did not require surgical intervention. The aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 4, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1808 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, CESSNA 150, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER STRIKING POWER LINES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 23 AT COOLIDGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (P08), COOLIDGE, ARIZONA. THE FLIGHT WAS A LOCAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ON BOARD: ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A MINOR INJURY (BROKEN ARM); THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED RUNWAY 5 AND PROCEEDED APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, WHERE THE PILOT CONDUCTED SEVERAL TRAINING MANEUVERS, INCLUDING STEEP TURNS, SLOW FLIGHT, AND PRACTICE STALLS. AFTER COMPLETING THE MANEUVERS, THE PILOT RETURNED TO COOLIDGE AIRPORT WITH THE INTENTION OF ENTERING A CROSSWIND FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 5.
UPON RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT AREA, THE PILOT OBSERVED THREE AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 23. THE PILOT REPORTED JOINING A FIVE-MILE FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 23 AND STATED THAT VISIBILITY WAS DEGRADED DUE TO SUN GLARE. ON SHORT FINAL, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT BECAME VISIBLE AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOWER THAN EXPECTED. THE PILOT ADDED ENGINE POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE LOW APPROACH AND OBSERVED AN ORANGE MARKER BALL; HOWEVER, THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE ASSOCIATED POWER LINES. PILOT REPORT HE DID NOT SEE THE PAPI LIGHTS, BUT THE PAPI WAS CONFIRMED TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER.
THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK THE POWER LINES, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN YAW TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND WAS ABLE TO MOMENTARILY REALIGN THE AIRCRAFT, BUT REPORTED INSUFFICIENT AIRSPEED AND AN UNCONTROLLABLE DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN, CARTWHEELED THROUGH BRUSH AND TREES, AND CAME TO REST IN A DRAINAGE DITCH.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, THE PILOT CHECKED ON THE PASSENGER, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, SHUT OFF THE MASTER SWITCH TO REDUCE FIRE RISK, AND CALLED 911. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TRANSPORTED THE PASSENGER TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL, WHERE THEY WERE TREATED AND RELEASED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE INJURY DID NOT REQUIRE SURGICAL INTERVENTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.