# Accident 20260418009759A: Piper PA-30, Auburn, WA, April 18, 2026 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 18, 2026, 13:30 local time - Place: Auburn, WA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 47.2915° N, 122.2354° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.2915&lon=-122.2354&mi=10 - Aircraft: N741TJ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N741TJ) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA163) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260418009759A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR26LA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA163), Apr 18, 2026: Piper PA30 (N741TJ), Auburn, WA, substantial damage, investigation ongoing From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.