WPR25LA305

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150F · Lake Havasu City, AZ · September 26, 2025

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary report
Date
September 26, 2025, 09:15 local (16:15 UTC)
Place
Lake Havasu City, AZ · Dirt field
Injuries
2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N8171SCessna 150F
Defining event
Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
Case key
201794

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On September 26, 2025, at about 0915 mountain standard time, a Cessna 150F, N8171S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The flight instructor and student pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The flight instructor reported he and the student pilot were relocating the recently purchased airplane from Marana Regional Airport (AVQ), Marana, Arizona to Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU), Boulder City, Nevada with a planned fuel stop in Lake Havasu City Airport (HII), Lake Havasu, City, Arizona. He added that the night prior to the accident, the fuel tanks were topped off with fuel. Prior to departure, a preflight inspection was performed, which included a visual inspection of the fuel in the tanks and sumping of the tanks. No abnormalities were noted. During the flight, about 15 miles southeast of HII, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. After performing the emergency checklists, he was unable to restore engine power. The flight instructor stated that they were unable to maintain altitude and elected to initiate a forced landing to a highway. Due to the high amount of traffic on the highway, the flight instructor diverted to an open area nearby which was used for remote control airplane operations. During the approach to the field, the airplane overflew their intended landing area, struck a dirt berm and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Aircraft

Registration
N8171S
Reported as
Cessna 150F
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15061771
Built
1966
Airframe hours
9,521.8
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Positioning · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · October 8, 2024
Departed
AVQ · Marana, AZ
Destination
HII · Lake Havasu City, AZ
Airport
HII · Lake Havasu City, runway 14/32, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
180° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
29.79 inHg
Observed at
KHII, 6 nm away
METAR
METAR KHII 261615Z AUTO 18008KT 10SM CLR 29/11 A2979

Other investigations on N8171S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.