What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 8/10/26 around 1307(l), C-180, privacy data omitted, while conducting flight training/evaluation, crashed approximately 200FT sw of the grass-strip runway of Daybreak Airport (WA46) in La Center, clark county, WA. The aircraft came to rest on a sand bar in the east fork of the lewis river at n 45.82727478101521, w 122.63481757129725. The aircraft was damaged substantially. Both occupants sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized for more than a week.
The occupants were privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted.
privacy data omitted Has a history of reports of pulling back the mixture to simulate engine failures. His method has previously caused an engine failure on short final; at the same airport. Additionally, privacy data omitted has an enforcement action against his certificate for running an aircraft out of fuel. He was also investigated for running another aircraft out of fuel due to miscalculating usable fuel on board with a certain STC on the aircraft.
A witness stated that he did not see but heard the aircraft sometime before the crash and it sounded normal. Just prior to the crash, he heard popping like the sound of a backfiring engine [after firing] and then the crash.
From the orientation of the aircraft, it appears that the pilots were attempting to land rwy 31. It appears that the left wing struck a tree, putting a large gash in the wing, and puncturing the leftwing fuel bladder. The result was the aircraft pointing 90 degrees to the left of its original path, and upside down. Two hours after the crash, when the FAA arrived, there was no evidence of fuel spillage from the hole in the fuel bladder.
Both the FAA and the NTSB have reached out to both occupants for more information about the crash. Neither occupant has responded to the FAA or the NTSB.
This investigation is still open and will be amended as more information becomes available
As the FAA filed it
ON 8/10/26 AROUND 1307(L), C-180, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHILE CONDUCTING FLIGHT TRAINING/EVALUATION, CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 200FT SW OF THE GRASS-STRIP RUNWAY OF DAYBREAK AIRPORT (WA46) IN LA CENTER, CLARK COUNTY, WA. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A SAND BAR IN THE EAST FORK OF THE LEWIS RIVER AT N 45.82727478101521, W 122.63481757129725. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR MORE THAN A WEEK.
THE OCCUPANTS WERE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS A HISTORY OF REPORTS OF PULLING BACK THE MIXTURE TO SIMULATE ENGINE FAILURES. HIS METHOD HAS PREVIOUSLY CAUSED AN ENGINE FAILURE ON SHORT FINAL; AT THE SAME AIRPORT. ADDITIONALLY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS AN ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST HIS CERTIFICATE FOR RUNNING AN AIRCRAFT OUT OF FUEL. HE WAS ALSO INVESTIGATED FOR RUNNING ANOTHER AIRCRAFT OUT OF FUEL DUE TO MISCALCULATING USABLE FUEL ON BOARD WITH A CERTAIN STC ON THE AIRCRAFT.
A WITNESS STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE BUT HEARD THE AIRCRAFT SOMETIME BEFORE THE CRASH AND IT SOUNDED NORMAL. JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH, HE HEARD POPPING LIKE THE SOUND OF A BACKFIRING ENGINE [AFTER FIRING] AND THEN THE CRASH.
FROM THE ORIENTATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOTS WERE ATTEMPTING TO LAND RWY 31. IT APPEARS THAT THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE, PUTTING A LARGE GASH IN THE WING, AND PUNCTURING THE LEFTWING FUEL BLADDER. THE RESULT WAS THE AIRCRAFT POINTING 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF ITS ORIGINAL PATH, AND UPSIDE DOWN. TWO HOURS AFTER THE CRASH, WHEN THE FAA ARRIVED, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE FROM THE HOLE IN THE FUEL BLADDER.
BOTH THE FAA AND THE NTSB HAVE REACHED OUT TO BOTH OCCUPANTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRASH. NEITHER OCCUPANT HAS RESPONDED TO THE FAA OR THE NTSB.
THIS INVESTIGATION IS STILL OPEN AND WILL BE AMENDED AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.