What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 1, 2026, about 1020 pacific daylight time, a personal flight departed jefferson county airport (0S9), port townsend, Washington, bound for Packwood airport (55S), Packwood, Washington. The pilot and a rated, but not current pilot passenger intended to go fishing on the cowlitz river. The pilot had accumulated approximately 100 hours of flight time in the accident aircraft and had flown it as recently as August 30, 2026, with no observed issues. A preflight inspection of the aircraft was normal, and the fuel tanks were full. The engine runup was normal, with magneto and carburetor heat checks indicating normal operation. The engine idled normally with carburetor heat applied.
The aircraft climbed to a cruise altitude of 5,500 feet MSL to remain above a low cloud layer. All engine indications were normal during the cruise portion of the flight. About 10 to 15 miles southwest of Packwood, as the cloud layer began to break up, the pilot initiated a descent, reduced power to 2,200 RPM, and applied carburetor heat. Immediately after applying carburetor heat, the engine RPM decreased by about 300 RPM and began to run rough. The pilot attempted to increase the throttle, but the engine did not respond. The pilot then adjusted the mixture to full rich and cycled the carburetor heat; while cycling the control caused the engine speed to fluctuate +/- 100 RPM, the engine roughness and low RPM persisted, and the control was left in the "on" position. While circling to locate a suitable landing site, the pilot cycled the magnetos and the fuel selector, which resulted in no change to engine performance. Throughout the event, engine oil temperature and pressure remained normal, and the propeller continued to rotate, but the engine produced insufficient power to maintain level flight.
At about 3,000 feet MSL, the pilot declared an emergency on 121.5 mhz with seattle center (zse), reporting two souls on board and approximately two hours of fuel remaining. The pilot configured the aircraft to land in the cispus river about 12 miles south of 55S because the water level was low and it presented the only open terrain available. The pilot reported clear skies, good visibility, and calm winds in the area of the accident. Upon touchdown, the aircraft encountered rocks of various sizes, which caused the nose gear to collapse and the right wing to make contact with the ground and surrounding brush. The pilot reported that all engine controls appeared to move normally and remained functional throughout the duration of the flight. The pilot and passenger were able to evacuate the aircraft with no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, ABOUT 1020 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT (0S9), PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON, BOUND FOR PACKWOOD AIRPORT (55S), PACKWOOD, WASHINGTON. THE PILOT AND A RATED, BUT NOT CURRENT PILOT PASSENGER INTENDED TO GO FISHING ON THE COWLITZ RIVER. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 100 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND HAD FLOWN IT AS RECENTLY AS AUGUST 30, 2026, WITH NO OBSERVED ISSUES. A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NORMAL, AND THE FUEL TANKS WERE FULL. THE ENGINE RUNUP WAS NORMAL, WITH MAGNETO AND CARBURETOR HEAT CHECKS INDICATING NORMAL OPERATION. THE ENGINE IDLED NORMALLY WITH CARBURETOR HEAT APPLIED.
THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 5,500 FEET MSL TO REMAIN ABOVE A LOW CLOUD LAYER. ALL ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE FLIGHT. ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PACKWOOD, AS THE CLOUD LAYER BEGAN TO BREAK UP, THE PILOT INITIATED A DESCENT, REDUCED POWER TO 2,200 RPM, AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER APPLYING CARBURETOR HEAT, THE ENGINE RPM DECREASED BY ABOUT 300 RPM AND BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE THROTTLE, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT THEN ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH AND CYCLED THE CARBURETOR HEAT; WHILE CYCLING THE CONTROL CAUSED THE ENGINE SPEED TO FLUCTUATE +/- 100 RPM, THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND LOW RPM PERSISTED, AND THE CONTROL WAS LEFT IN THE "ON" POSITION. WHILE CIRCLING TO LOCATE A SUITABLE LANDING SITE, THE PILOT CYCLED THE MAGNETOS AND THE FUEL SELECTOR, WHICH RESULTED IN NO CHANGE TO ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE REMAINED NORMAL, AND THE PROPELLER CONTINUED TO ROTATE, BUT THE ENGINE PRODUCED INSUFFICIENT POWER TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT.
AT ABOUT 3,000 FEET MSL, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ON 121.5 MHZ WITH SEATTLE CENTER (ZSE), REPORTING TWO SOULS ON BOARD AND APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND IN THE CISPUS RIVER ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTH OF 55S BECAUSE THE WATER LEVEL WAS LOW AND IT PRESENTED THE ONLY OPEN TERRAIN AVAILABLE. THE PILOT REPORTED CLEAR SKIES, GOOD VISIBILITY, AND CALM WINDS IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED ROCKS OF VARIOUS SIZES, WHICH CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND THE RIGHT WING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND SURROUNDING BRUSH. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ALL ENGINE CONTROLS APPEARED TO MOVE NORMALLY AND REMAINED FUNCTIONAL THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.