What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 21, 2026, at 12:36 pm PDT (1936Z), Beechcraft B95 privacy data omitted, piloted by privacy data omitted, took off from runway 34 at Newport municipal airport (konp) in Newport, Oregon, heading west over the pacific ocean.
At approximately 12:39 pm PDT (1939Z), the airplane arrived about 1 mile offshore over a friend's fishing boat. The aircraft flew low-level figure-8 maneuvers over the boat. During one of these low passes, the airplane banked steeply to the left, causing its left propeller to strike the water. The pilot then climbed the aircraft back up, leveled off, and turned east heading back toward the airport.
At approximately 12:43 pm PDT (1943Z), a second witness fishing about 1 mile offshore (1 mile south of the lighthouse) spotted the airplane flying abnormally low, roughly 1/4 mile from his vessel. The engine sounded normal, but the aircraft was making a wide circle to the north while continuously losing altitude and unable to climb.
The aircraft descended onto the ocean surface with a loud crashing sound. It came to rest on the water, floated for approximately 2 to 2.5 minutes before completely submerged.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2026, AT 12:36 PM PDT (1936Z), BEECHCRAFT B95 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 34 AT NEWPORT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KONP) IN NEWPORT, OREGON, HEADING WEST OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
AT APPROXIMATELY 12:39 PM PDT (1939Z), THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED ABOUT 1 MILE OFFSHORE OVER A FRIEND'S FISHING BOAT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW LOW-LEVEL FIGURE-8 MANEUVERS OVER THE BOAT. DURING ONE OF THESE LOW PASSES, THE AIRPLANE BANKED STEEPLY TO THE LEFT, CAUSING ITS LEFT PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE WATER. THE PILOT THEN CLIMBED THE AIRCRAFT BACK UP, LEVELED OFF, AND TURNED EAST HEADING BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT.
AT APPROXIMATELY 12:43 PM PDT (1943Z), A SECOND WITNESS FISHING ABOUT 1 MILE OFFSHORE (1 MILE SOUTH OF THE LIGHTHOUSE) SPOTTED THE AIRPLANE FLYING ABNORMALLY LOW, ROUGHLY 1/4 MILE FROM HIS VESSEL. THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING A WIDE CIRCLE TO THE NORTH WHILE CONTINUOUSLY LOSING ALTITUDE AND UNABLE TO CLIMB.
THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED ONTO THE OCEAN SURFACE WITH A LOUD CRASHING SOUND. IT CAME TO REST ON THE WATER, FLOATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 2.5 MINUTES BEFORE COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.