# NTSB WPR26FA354: Cessna 172B, N44P, Royal City, WA, September 24, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report
- Date: September 23, 2026, 17:11 local (Sep 24, 2026, 00:11 UTC)
- Place: Royal City, WA
- Coordinates: 46.92978, -119.74075
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.9298&lon=-119.7408&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Textron Aviation, Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203863
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR26FA354
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203863/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26FA354

## Preliminary report

On September 23, 2026, about 1711 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172B, N44P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Royal City, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot’s family, he departed from a private airstrip on his property at about 1630. Shortly thereafter, a worker at a farm located near B & G Farms Airport (4WA0), Royal City, Washington, saw the airplane land on runway 7. The worker periodically turned his attention to the airplane and saw it back-taxi to the approach end of runway 7 and stand with the engine running for about 20 minutes. The witness saw the airplane taxi in one or two circles before it lined up with runway 7 and began its departure roll. The airplane’s takeoff appeared normal until it rotated into a nose high pitch attitude as it passed a building located alongside the runway. The airplane began to climb steeply, yawed left, and overflew a road and residence. The airplane then rolled to the left, its nose dropped, and it subsequently impacted a farm field about 450 ft north of the runway. (See figure.) The witness stated he could hear the airplane’s engine running during the entire flight without any irregularities or changes in tone. Figure: A depiction of airplane’s flight path, as described by the witness. The airplane came to rest inverted on an approximate magnetic heading of 070°. The first identified point of impact was a divot in soft mud that contained fragments of the landing and taxi light lens from the left wing. The left wing was crushed aft outboard of the lift strut, and mud had adhered to the leading edge. The right wing leading edge was crushed aft. Both flaps appeared to be in the retracted position. The engine, engine mount, and firewall were displaced aft. The pilot’s seat was separated from the seat rails and the seat pins were bent. The seat rails were partially separated from the floor, and one seat rail was bent around the seat base roller assembly. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md?model=2072406), [All aircraft, 780 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N44P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N44P), registered now, S/N 17248620, built 1961 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172B
- Registry model: [Cessna 172B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172b) (registry code 2072406) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17248620
- Year built: 1961
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Destination: PVT, Royal City, WA
- Airport: 4WA0, B & G Farms Airport
- Equipment: ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observed at: KMWH, 23 nm away
- METAR: METAR KMWH 232352Z 21003KT 10SM CLR 21/04 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP164 T02110044 10211 20156 58010

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20260923012929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260923012929A), Sep 23, 2026: Cessna 172B, Royal City, WA, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Aircraft crashed nose first into agriculture field north of 4WA0 b&g farms runway, on September 23, 2026, about 1711 pacific daylight time, one fatal flight…

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.

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