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20260418009759A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Auburn, WA · April 18, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 18, 2026 · 13:30 local
Place
Auburn, WA
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N741TJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA163
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
N741TJRegistered now · Piper PA-30S/N 30-477 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

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 April 18, 2026, about 1330 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-30 twin comanche, privacy data omitted,

Was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Auburn, Washington. The

Pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a title

14 Code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, the flight departed eureka-murray field airport (eka), eureka, California,

With about 85 gallons of fuel onboard and was destined for renton municipal airport (rnt),

Renton, Washington. The airplane was operating in visual meteorological conditions, and the

Initial portion of the flight was uneventful. The pilot reported that during the descent, about 2

Hours and 29 minutes after departure, the airplane began to feel as though it had encountered

Wind shear or turbulence. Shortly thereafter, the left engine RPM decreased to about 1,900 RPM,

And the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control. The left engine RPM subsequently

Decreased to about 1,600 RPM, and the right engine RPM also began to decrease. At this time

The pilot elected to divert to Auburn municipal airport (S50), Auburn, Washington. Both engines

Then further reduced to about 1,500 RPM, and the airplane was unable to maintain the glidepath

To the runway.

The pilot selected a dirt field southwest of the airport for a forced landing. During the approach

To the field, she reduced the engine power to idle, extended the flaps, extended the landing

Gear and maneuvered the airplane toward the selected landing area. The airplane touched

Down in the dirt field and subsequently impacted a mound of soil resulting in substantial

Damage to the fuselage.

The pilot reported that they departed with the main fuel tanks selected and switched to the

Auxiliary tanks about 1 hour into the flight. The pilot reported that she later switched back to

The main tanks before the onset of the engine power fluctuations. The pilot-rated passenger

Reported that he did not recall which tanks were selected when the engine power fluctuations

Began.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 18, 2026, ABOUT 1330 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-30 TWIN COMANCHE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^,

WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR AUBURN, WASHINGTON. THE

PILOT AND PILOT-RATED PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE

14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED EUREKA-MURRAY FIELD AIRPORT (EKA), EUREKA, CALIFORNIA,

WITH ABOUT 85 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD AND WAS DESTINED FOR RENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (RNT),

RENTON, WASHINGTON. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND THE

INITIAL PORTION OF THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE DESCENT, ABOUT 2

HOURS AND 29 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO FEEL AS THOUGH IT HAD ENCOUNTERED

WIND SHEAR OR TURBULENCE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LEFT ENGINE RPM DECREASED TO ABOUT 1,900 RPM,

AND THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE LEFT ENGINE RPM SUBSEQUENTLY

DECREASED TO ABOUT 1,600 RPM, AND THE RIGHT ENGINE RPM ALSO BEGAN TO DECREASE. AT THIS TIME

THE PILOT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO AUBURN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (S50), AUBURN, WASHINGTON. BOTH ENGINES

THEN FURTHER REDUCED TO ABOUT 1,500 RPM, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE GLIDEPATH

TO THE RUNWAY.

THE PILOT SELECTED A DIRT FIELD SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT FOR A FORCED LANDING. DURING THE APPROACH

TO THE FIELD, SHE REDUCED THE ENGINE POWER TO IDLE, EXTENDED THE FLAPS, EXTENDED THE LANDING

GEAR AND MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TOWARD THE SELECTED LANDING AREA. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED

DOWN IN THE DIRT FIELD AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED A MOUND OF SOIL RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL

DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY DEPARTED WITH THE MAIN FUEL TANKS SELECTED AND SWITCHED TO THE

AUXILIARY TANKS ABOUT 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHE LATER SWITCHED BACK TO

THE MAIN TANKS BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE ENGINE POWER FLUCTUATIONS. THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER

REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT RECALL WHICH TANKS WERE SELECTED WHEN THE ENGINE POWER FLUCTUATIONS

BEGAN.

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 WPR26LA163Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportAuburn, WAOn April 18, 2026, about 1330 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, N741TJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Auburn, Washington. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was…Apr 18, 2026 · Substantial damage