What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 08/31/2026 aircraft privacy data omitted, a Mooney M20C privacy data omitted, departed from 4S2, ken jernstedt airfield, in Hood river, Oregon for a flight to perform the flight review for the aircraft owner/pilot with a flight instructor on board. Specific departure time is unknown. At approximately 1130 am the aircraft was involved with a collision with the terrain approximately 10 miles south-southwest of the departure airport. The collision resulted in fatal injuries for both occupants and substantial damage to the aircraft. The impact area showed an approximate direction of flight of 220 degrees west-southwest. Also noted was that the aircraft impacted with the ground a steep angle with tree branches broken approximately 50 feet from the aircraft and 50 feet high in the direction the aircraft had been estimated to have flown. The leading edges of the vertical stabilizer showed impact damage and the leading edge and underside of the LH elevator were damaged consistent with damage from tree branches. A flight control continuity check was not performed due to the damage and the aircraft forward of the firewall being removed to extract the occupants. Damage to the propeller was inconclusive but may show damage signs that the engine was at a low power setting.
No causes or factors have been determined at this time. This report will be updated if any additional information is recieved.
As the FAA filed it
ON 08/31/2026 AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A MOONEY M20C ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DEPARTED FROM 4S2, KEN JERNSTEDT AIRFIELD, IN HOOD RIVER, OREGON FOR A FLIGHT TO PERFORM THE FLIGHT REVIEW FOR THE AIRCRAFT OWNER/PILOT WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD. SPECIFIC DEPARTURE TIME IS UNKNOWN. AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 AM THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED WITH A COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE COLLISION RESULTED IN FATAL INJURIES FOR BOTH OCCUPANTS AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE IMPACT AREA SHOWED AN APPROXIMATE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT OF 220 DEGREES WEST-SOUTHWEST. ALSO NOTED WAS THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WITH THE GROUND A STEEP ANGLE WITH TREE BRANCHES BROKEN APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND 50 FEET HIGH IN THE DIRECTION THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN ESTIMATED TO HAVE FLOWN. THE LEADING EDGES OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE AND THE LEADING EDGE AND UNDERSIDE OF THE LH ELEVATOR WERE DAMAGED CONSISTENT WITH DAMAGE FROM TREE BRANCHES. A FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK WAS NOT PERFORMED DUE TO THE DAMAGE AND THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL BEING REMOVED TO EXTRACT THE OCCUPANTS. DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER WAS INCONCLUSIVE BUT MAY SHOW DAMAGE SIGNS THAT THE ENGINE WAS AT A LOW POWER SETTING.
NO CAUSES OR FACTORS HAVE BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THIS REPORT WILL BE UPDATED IF ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS RECIEVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.