# Accident 20260810011059A: Cessna 180, La Center, WA, August 10, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 10, 2026, 13:07 local time
- Place: La Center, WA
- Airport: Daybreak
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.8270° N, 122.6340° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8270&lon=-122.6340&mi=10
- Aircraft: N180DT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N180DT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 180 (registry code 2072602, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA296](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA296) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260810011059A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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

## 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 WPR26LA296](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA296), Aug 10, 2026: Cessna 180 (N180DT), La Center, 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.

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