What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 23, 2025 a commercially rated pilot took off from WA87 at approximately 15:17 PST for another phase one test flight. The aircraft had been refueled two days prior, and all tanks were full. Pilot stated that the fuel selector valve was in the ‘both’ position. Pilot climbed to approximately 2000 MSL, flew east, then turned northeast for ~15 minutes and then turned back to WA87. Pilot reported cruising at about 2100 feet MSL when they “smelled something was hot.” pilot stated that all engine instrumentation was indicating within normal parameters, and shortly afterward, the engine suffered a complete failure. Pilot scanned for and identified an acceptable landing location, and turned toward it. As pilot turned right onto a base leg, the course was altered to avoid two houses. Pilot avoided the houses and attempted to slip down for the landing. Avoiding livestock and the two large stumps, pilot set down but was unable to stop. The aircraft hit a sharp rise and then slid downhill entering a large blackberry bush. When the aircraft hit the blackberry bush the right wing hit a tree and spun to the right. After coming to a stop, pilot turned off all electrical and contacted emergency services and exited the aircraft.
Pilot (owner) was directed to remove fuel from the aircraft shortly after the accident occurred by the Washington state department of ecology due to the aircraft’s proximity to a stream. Owner stated that ~44 gallons of fuel was extracted from the aircraft.
Upon FAA iic arrival at the scene, aircraft was found to be in a large blackberry bush at the edge of a cow field. Pictures were taken by FAA iic at the scene. Pictures were also taken at the owner’s residence of the aircraft registration, certificate of airworthiness, operating limitations, as well as all maintenance records of the aircraft.
After the aircraft wreckage had been recovered, it was taken to a secure facility in auburn, Washington at the direction of the NTSB. FAA iic went to facility and further inspected the wreckage. Iic examined the aircraft as it sat upon arrival. After looking the aircraft over, the engine cowlings were taken off and iic started looking for obvious defects/signs of damage that may have caused the engine to shut down (none were found). Iic also was able to move the propeller a complete rotation, which also appears to be a complete rotation of the engine flywheel (the prop had previously been moved ~12 inches during recovery of the wreckage, according to the individual who performed the recovery). Individual who performed the recovery also extracted ~1.5 gallons of fuel out of the left tank.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 23, 2025 A COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT TOOK OFF FROM WA87 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:17 PST FOR ANOTHER PHASE ONE TEST FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REFUELED TWO DAYS PRIOR, AND ALL TANKS WERE FULL. PILOT STATED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE ‘BOTH’ POSITION. PILOT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 2000 MSL, FLEW EAST, THEN TURNED NORTHEAST FOR ~15 MINUTES AND THEN TURNED BACK TO WA87. PILOT REPORTED CRUISING AT ABOUT 2100 FEET MSL WHEN THEY “SMELLED SOMETHING WAS HOT.” PILOT STATED THAT ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION WAS INDICATING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS, AND SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE ENGINE SUFFERED A COMPLETE FAILURE. PILOT SCANNED FOR AND IDENTIFIED AN ACCEPTABLE LANDING LOCATION, AND TURNED TOWARD IT. AS PILOT TURNED RIGHT ONTO A BASE LEG, THE COURSE WAS ALTERED TO AVOID TWO HOUSES. PILOT AVOIDED THE HOUSES AND ATTEMPTED TO SLIP DOWN FOR THE LANDING. AVOIDING LIVESTOCK AND THE TWO LARGE STUMPS, PILOT SET DOWN BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A SHARP RISE AND THEN SLID DOWNHILL ENTERING A LARGE BLACKBERRY BUSH. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE BLACKBERRY BUSH THE RIGHT WING HIT A TREE AND SPUN TO THE RIGHT. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, PILOT TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL AND CONTACTED EMERGENCY SERVICES AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
PILOT (OWNER) WAS DIRECTED TO REMOVE FUEL FROM THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED BY THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT’S PROXIMITY TO A STREAM. OWNER STATED THAT ~44 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
UPON FAA IIC ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE, AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO BE IN A LARGE BLACKBERRY BUSH AT THE EDGE OF A COW FIELD. PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY FAA IIC AT THE SCENE. PICTURES WERE ALSO TAKEN AT THE OWNER’S RESIDENCE OF THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION, CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS, OPERATING LIMITATIONS, AS WELL AS ALL MAINTENANCE RECORDS OF THE AIRCRAFT.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE HAD BEEN RECOVERED, IT WAS TAKEN TO A SECURE FACILITY IN AUBURN, WASHINGTON AT THE DIRECTION OF THE NTSB. FAA IIC WENT TO FACILITY AND FURTHER INSPECTED THE WRECKAGE. IIC EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AS IT SAT UPON ARRIVAL. AFTER LOOKING THE AIRCRAFT OVER, THE ENGINE COWLINGS WERE TAKEN OFF AND IIC STARTED LOOKING FOR OBVIOUS DEFECTS/SIGNS OF DAMAGE THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN (NONE WERE FOUND). IIC ALSO WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE PROPELLER A COMPLETE ROTATION, WHICH ALSO APPEARS TO BE A COMPLETE ROTATION OF THE ENGINE FLYWHEEL (THE PROP HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN MOVED ~12 INCHES DURING RECOVERY OF THE WRECKAGE, ACCORDING TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO PERFORMED THE RECOVERY). INDIVIDUAL WHO PERFORMED THE RECOVERY ALSO EXTRACTED ~1.5 GALLONS OF FUEL OUT OF THE LEFT TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.