NTSB report sheds light on cause of Rigby plane crash
RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) — The National Transportation Safety Board has released its official report on a September 2025 plane crash near the Rigby-Jefferson County Airport, shedding light on the performance issues that led to the accident.
RELATED: Small plane crashes into building near Rigby
According to the report, a Cessna 150F was destroyed after striking a power line and crashing into a building. Fortunately, both occupants, a student and an instructor pilot, escaped without serious injury.
The crash happend on September 17, 2025, during an introductory instructional flight. The aircraft was crewed by a 21-year-old student pilot from Tetonia and a 38-year-old from Victor who was acting as the instructor pilot (IP).
Their day began with a successful 48-minute training flight. After returning to Rigby for a brief stop, the student and instructor prepared for a final departure around 11:30 a.m.
The NTSB notes that while the initial takeoff went completely normal, the aircraft encountered severe performance issues almost immediately afterwards and struggled to gain altitude.
Realizing the aircraft could not maintain a safe climb, the instructor pilot took full control. Because the plane lacked the altitude to turn back and was too far down the runway to safely abort the takeoff, the IP was forced to fly forward. Pitching the plane up to climb and banking to avoid oncoming obstacles, the aircraft continued to lose energy.
As the Cessna flew toward a low-hanging power line, the IP pulled the nose up in a final attempt to clear the wire. According to the NTSB, the aircraft’s left main landing gear clipped the line, snagging the wire and instantly sending the plane into a 90-degree nose-dive and spin roughly 80 feet above the ground.
While plunging toward the ground, the report says the instructor aggressively applied rudder pressure to counteract the spin. The force caused the landing gear to tear completely free from the fuselage, states the report.
As the instructor continued to slow their descent, the left wing of the plane struck the old Intermountain Auto Wrecking building, rolling the aircraft to the right before the right wing, engine, and forward fuselage slammed into the ground.
Immediately following the impact, the crew began an emergency engine-securing checklist to prevent a post-crash fire.
Initial police reports indicate witnesses helped both men out of the wreckage, and they were treated for only minor injuries. However, the crash caused a widespread power outage, leaving over 2,700 Rocky Mountain Power customers without electricity for several hours.
