- Date
- January 4, 2026, 17:55 local (Jan 5, 2026, 00:55 UTC)
- Place
- Coolidge, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7235XCessna 150A
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 19, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260104000109A
- Case key
- 202256
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from transmission wires. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s partially obscured vision due to sun glare.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
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.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while attempting to land into the setting sun he had difficulty seeing the runway and the area ahead due to reduced visibility. As he approached the runway, he became aware that his altitude was lower than it should have been. He simultaneously noticed an orange ball that marked the presence of transmission lines. The pilot attempted to recover by applying power to climb and avoid the wires. Despite this corrective action, the aircraft struck one of the transmission lines. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, struck the ground and cartwheeled into a ditch which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7235X
- Reported as
- Cessna 150A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15059335
- Built
- 1961
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- P08 · Coolidge Municipal Airport, runway 23, 5,564 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- January 30, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 7,830 total · 65 in this make and model · 7,082 as pilot in command · 565 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- P08
- METAR
- METAR KP08 050030Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 20/09 A2998 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 19, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 18.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.