What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 26, 2025, a Cessna 172F was destroyed in an accident at Goheen Airport (W52) near Battle Ground, Washington, at approximately 1306 pacific daylight time. The pilot, the sole occupant, suffered fatal injuries. Prior to the accident, the aircraft executed a high reconnaissance flyover at a 45-degree angle to the runway's mid-section. The pilot then entered the crosswind leg of the airport traffic pattern, turning onto the downwind leg. Completing a left turn, the aircraft descended for a final approach to runway 15. Surveillance footage captured the aircraft flying about 10 feet above Ground level, partially touching down on the runway's last third. The pilot added power, initiating a shallow climb to 900 feet. The aircraft then turned left onto the base leg, overshooting the extended runway 15 centerline but maintaining altitude. During a descending left turn, the aircraft deviated approximately 15 degrees off the runway heading. The last ADS-B data recorded the aircraft at approx 100 kn, 300 ft MSL and 122 feet northwest of runway 15 approach end. Surveillance video then shows the aircraft veering sharply right in a dive before impact with large tree on the right side of the runway. The right wing's initial point of impact was a large tree, 75 feet above its base. Debris scattered below included a section of the outboard right wing, aileron, and wingtip. The propeller, found 22 feet from the impact point, displayed s-bending, leading edge polishing, and embedded wood fibers. The main wreckage, comprising the inboard right wing and flap, the entire left wing, empennage, cabin, and engine, was inverted 138 feet south of the impact point. Severe thermal damage to the cabin, cockpit, inner sections of left and right wing areas, and extending from the engine compartment to the baggage area.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2025, A CESSNA 172F WAS DESTROYED IN AN ACCIDENT AT GOHEEN AIRPORT (W52) NEAR BATTLE GROUND, WASHINGTON, AT APPROXIMATELY 1306 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A HIGH RECONNAISSANCE FLYOVER AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO THE RUNWAY'S MID-SECTION. THE PILOT THEN ENTERED THE CROSSWIND LEG OF THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN, TURNING ONTO THE DOWNWIND LEG. COMPLETING A LEFT TURN, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED FOR A FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 15. SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE CAPTURED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, PARTIALLY TOUCHING DOWN ON THE RUNWAY'S LAST THIRD. THE PILOT ADDED POWER, INITIATING A SHALLOW CLIMB TO 900 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED LEFT ONTO THE BASE LEG, OVERSHOOTING THE EXTENDED RUNWAY 15 CENTERLINE BUT MAINTAINING ALTITUDE. DURING A DESCENDING LEFT TURN, THE AIRCRAFT DEVIATED APPROXIMATELY 15 DEGREES OFF THE RUNWAY HEADING. THE LAST ADS-B DATA RECORDED THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROX 100 KN, 300 FT MSL AND 122 FEET NORTHWEST OF RUNWAY 15 APPROACH END. SURVEILLANCE VIDEO THEN SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT VEERING SHARPLY RIGHT IN A DIVE BEFORE IMPACT WITH LARGE TREE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT WING'S INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS A LARGE TREE, 75 FEET ABOVE ITS BASE. DEBRIS SCATTERED BELOW INCLUDED A SECTION OF THE OUTBOARD RIGHT WING, AILERON, AND WINGTIP. THE PROPELLER, FOUND 22 FEET FROM THE IMPACT POINT, DISPLAYED S-BENDING, LEADING EDGE POLISHING, AND EMBEDDED WOOD FIBERS. THE MAIN WRECKAGE, COMPRISING THE INBOARD RIGHT WING AND FLAP, THE ENTIRE LEFT WING, EMPENNAGE, CABIN, AND ENGINE, WAS INVERTED 138 FEET SOUTH OF THE IMPACT POINT. SEVERE THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE CABIN, COCKPIT, INNER SECTIONS OF LEFT AND RIGHT WING AREAS, AND EXTENDING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO THE BAGGAGE AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.