Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 150E near Siler, WA — 2026-09-01

Investigation ongoingWPR26LA327
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Date
2026-09-01
Location
Siler, WA, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 150E
Registration
N3037J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On September 1, 2026, at 1220 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150E, N3037J, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Siler, Washington. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he was conducting a cross-country flight from Jefferson County International Airport (0S9), Port Townsend, Washington to Packwood Airport (55S), Packwood, Washington. The pilot established a cruise altitude of 5,500 ft mean sea level above a cloud layer. Once the airplane was no longer above clouds and was approaching their intended destination, he initiated a descent, reduced engine power, and applied carburetor heat. Subsequently, the pilot noticed a 300 rpm decrease and that the engine was running rough. He advanced the throttle; however, engine rpm did not increase. The pilot attempted to restore engine power by enriching the mixture, cycling the magnetos, and cycling the carburetor heat. Despite his attempts, the pilot was unable to restore engine power and initiated a forced landing to a riverbed since the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. During the landing sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (partial) · Enroute
  • Engine Failure Enroute
View NTSB preliminary report

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