What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 6, 2026, at approximately 1807 pacific daylight time, an experimental aircraft was destroyed following a loss of engine power and subsequent impact with trees and terrain near Lake Stevens, Washington. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
The pilot reported that he had last flown the aircraft on August 8, 2026, with no anomalies noted during that flight. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot performed a preflight inspection. He noted that the engine oil level was sufficient and verified approximately 28 gallons of fuel in the 36-gallon main tank. The wing tank was unfueled. No mechanical or structural anomalies were identified during the preflight inspection.
The flight departed Frontier Airpark (WN53), Lake Stevens, Washington, shortly before 1800 with the intention of performing a local aerobatic practice flight. The planned maneuver area was located over powerlines approximately one-half mile east of the airport. The pilot noted that the weather at departure consisted of clear skies and light winds.
The departure and initial climb were reported as normal. The pilot climbed the aircraft to an altitude of approximately 3,500 feet (MSL) to conduct the practice maneuvers. The pilot successfully completed several loops and rolls, noting that the engine and aircraft systems were operating normally.
Following the completion of the aerobatic maneuvers, the pilot initiated an intentional spin maneuver to lose altitude with the intention of returning to the airport. At approximately 1,500 feet MSL, the pilot initiated spin recovery procedures. Upon advancing the throttle forward during the recovery, the engine failed to respond and produced no power. The pilot subsequently activated the electric auxiliary fuel boost pump, but engine power was not restored.
The pilot conducted forced landing emergency procedures and searched for a suitable landing site. Realizing the aircraft could not glide back to the runway at WN53, the pilot initially maneuvered toward a small field. Shortly thereafter, the pilot determined that the aircraft's remaining glide ratio was insufficient to reach the field. He then redirected the aircraft toward a stand of trees located southeast of the runway to avoid houses.
While maneuvering above the trees, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and began a secondary spin to the left. The pilot applied full right aileron and pushed the control stick forward immediately prior to impact.
The aircraft came to rest at the base of the trees at approximately 1807PDT. The fuselage sustained substantial crushing and structural damage, coming to rest in a left wing-low and nose-low attitude.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1807 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN NEAR LAKE STEVENS, WASHINGTON. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD LAST FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT ON AUGUST 8, 2026, WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED DURING THAT FLIGHT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. HE NOTED THAT THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL WAS SUFFICIENT AND VERIFIED APPROXIMATELY 28 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE 36-GALLON MAIN TANK. THE WING TANK WAS UNFUELED. NO MECHANICAL OR STRUCTURAL ANOMALIES WERE IDENTIFIED DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FRONTIER AIRPARK (WN53), LAKE STEVENS, WASHINGTON, SHORTLY BEFORE 1800 WITH THE INTENTION OF PERFORMING A LOCAL AEROBATIC PRACTICE FLIGHT. THE PLANNED MANEUVER AREA WAS LOCATED OVER POWERLINES APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF MILE EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE WEATHER AT DEPARTURE CONSISTED OF CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS.
THE DEPARTURE AND INITIAL CLIMB WERE REPORTED AS NORMAL. THE PILOT CLIMBED THE AIRCRAFT TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 3,500 FEET (MSL) TO CONDUCT THE PRACTICE MANEUVERS. THE PILOT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED SEVERAL LOOPS AND ROLLS, NOTING THAT THE ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY.
FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE AEROBATIC MANEUVERS, THE PILOT INITIATED AN INTENTIONAL SPIN MANEUVER TO LOSE ALTITUDE WITH THE INTENTION OF RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET MSL, THE PILOT INITIATED SPIN RECOVERY PROCEDURES. UPON ADVANCING THE THROTTLE FORWARD DURING THE RECOVERY, THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND AND PRODUCED NO POWER. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY ACTIVATED THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY FUEL BOOST PUMP, BUT ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED.
THE PILOT CONDUCTED FORCED LANDING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND SEARCHED FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SITE. REALIZING THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT GLIDE BACK TO THE RUNWAY AT WN53, THE PILOT INITIALLY MANEUVERED TOWARD A SMALL FIELD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S REMAINING GLIDE RATIO WAS INSUFFICIENT TO REACH THE FIELD. HE THEN REDIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD A STAND OF TREES LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF THE RUNWAY TO AVOID HOUSES.
WHILE MANEUVERING ABOVE THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN AERODYNAMIC STALL AND BEGAN A SECONDARY SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL RIGHT AILERON AND PUSHED THE CONTROL STICK FORWARD IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO IMPACT.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE BASE OF THE TREES AT APPROXIMATELY 1807PDT. THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL CRUSHING AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, COMING TO REST IN A LEFT WING-LOW AND NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.