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20260318003779I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-12 · St. Helens, WA · March 18, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 18, 2026 · 18:00 local
Place
St. Helens, WA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7632H
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA133
Reported as
Piper PA-12
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,000 total100 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N7632HRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-507 · Built 1946Airframe modelPiper PA-12Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On March 18, around 15:30 local time, N7632H departed the hillsboro, or (hio) airport for the purpose of, as described by the pilot, some fun flying along the columbia river gorge. The pilot conducted several takeoffs and landings from unimproved strips along the columbia river prior to the accident flight. The pilot had already conducted one takeoff and landing on goat island. The accident flight was his second. According to the pilot, at approximately 06:00PM, while taking off from goat island near St. Helens, OR, the takeoff was normal but as the aircraft became lite, the aircraft veered to the left and ended in the water. The pilot was able to safely get out of the airplane and get to shore. Tthe police and multiple respondents helped him to secure the aircraft and get it out of the water.

The left landing gear was found sheared and the left tundra tire rotated sideways. The landing gear was new and had 15 landings on it. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The cause of the gear failure has not yet been determined.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 18, AROUND 15:30 LOCAL TIME, N7632H DEPARTED THE HILLSBORO, OR (HIO) AIRPORT FOR THE PURPOSE OF, AS DESCRIBED BY THE PILOT, SOME FUN FLYING ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. THE PILOT CONDUCTED SEVERAL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS FROM UNIMPROVED STRIPS ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD ALREADY CONDUCTED ONE TAKEOFF AND LANDING ON GOAT ISLAND. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS HIS SECOND. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AT APPROXIMATELY 06:00PM, WHILE TAKING OFF FROM GOAT ISLAND NEAR ST. HELENS, OR, THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL BUT AS THE AIRCRAFT BECAME LITE, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND ENDED IN THE WATER. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND GET TO SHORE. TTHE POLICE AND MULTIPLE RESPONDENTS HELPED HIM TO SECURE THE AIRCRAFT AND GET IT OUT OF THE WATER.

THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND SHEARED AND THE LEFT TUNDRA TIRE ROTATED SIDEWAYS. THE LANDING GEAR WAS NEW AND HAD 15 LANDINGS ON IT. THE RIGHT WING SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR FAILURE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR26LA133Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportWest Linn, OROn March 18, 2026, about 1700 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-12, N7632H, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Linn, Oregon. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations…Mar 19, 2026 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7632H · 1

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

Accident 20220722012989ALanding: Rollout · Lexingtion, ORPilot left khio and headed for klgd a little after 11AM. Pilot decided to land at 9S9 to pick up some fuel. Aircraft touched down a few minutes before 1PM. The touch down and first part of the roll out were routine. Pilot touched down where he intended and at…Jul 22, 2022 · Substantial damage