Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee B, N7186W, fatal accident occurred on July 17, 2025, near West Yellowstone, Montana

• Location: West Yellowstone, MT 
• Accident Number: WPR25FA214 
• Date & Time: July 17, 2025, 23:58 Local 
• Registration: N7186W 
• Aircraft: Piper PA-28-180 
• Injuries: 3 Fatal 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200571/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N7186W

On July 17, 2025, about 2358 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7186W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Yellowstone, Montana. The pilot and two pilot rated passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot and two pilot rated passengers had planned to complete a series of flights together, while two of the three pilots were building night, cross country flight time.

According to preliminary ADS-B data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane landed on runway 01 at Yellowstone Airport (WYS), West Yellowstone, Montana, at 2246, and departed from runway 19 at 2353. Once airborne, the airplane’s flightpath drifted left of the runway centerline, then remained on a parallel course to the runway’s extended centerline. About 3 miles southwest of WYS, the airplane initiated a left turn to the south. About 45 seconds later, the airplane turned left to a southeasterly heading. About 28 seconds later, a right turn was initiated and continued until the end of the flight track data. No altitude information was recorded within the ADS-B data.

According to the pilot of another airplane that landed at WYS near the time of the accident, he was inbound on an instrument flight plan and had been cleared to fly the ILS approach to runway 01 at WYS. When he was about 10 miles from WYS, he transmitted on the WYS common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), his position and intention to fly a straight in approach to runway 01. As he completed his radio transmission, he heard a transmission from what he felt was the pilot of the accident airplane, however, it did not offer a clear description of its position. The pilot of the approaching airplane transmitted a second time and asked for position clarification from the accident pilot, who subsequently responded, “…I’m trying to get to…(garbled).” The approaching airplane’s pilot then saw aircraft lights in the distance below his airplane that were moving toward the southeast. The pilot of the approaching airplane transmitted a third time, “Are you on a left crosswind?” No further radio transmissions from the accident pilot were heard and the approaching airplane landed without further interaction with the accident pilot.

The approaching airplane’s pilot stated that at the time he flew the instrument approach into WYS, it was “very dark” and there was no landscape illumination from the moon or ground lights, other than the runway lights.

On July 18, 2025, at 1121, an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued following reports from family members, that the pilots could not be reached by phone, and confirmation from the airplane’s rental management company, that the airplane had not returned to its home airport. The wreckage was subsequently located by the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division, about 5.5 miles southeast of WYS, 410 ft west of the last ADS-B data point, at an elevation of about 7,580 ft msl.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted wooded terrain near the top of a geographical plateau. The debris field was about 200 ft in length, from the first identified point of contact (FIPC), and was oriented on a magnetic heading of 266°. The main wreckage was located about 160 ft from the FIPC. A portion of the main wreckage came to rest in a nose low attitude, and a portion came to rest inverted. The inverted portion of the main wreckage was oriented on a magnetic heading of 299°. All major components of the airframe, flight controls, engine and propeller assembly were observed throughout the debris field.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

Cessna T188C AGhusky, N2802J, fatal accident occurred on July 22, 2025, near Ogle County Airport (C55), Oregon, Illinois

• Location: Oregon, IL 
• Accident Number: CEN25FA273 
• Date & Time: July 22, 2025, 09:30 Local 
• Registration: N2802J 
• Aircraft: Cessna T188C 
• Injuries: 1 Fatal 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 137: Agricultural

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200603/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?NNumberTxt=N2802J

On July 22, 2025, about 0930 central daylight time, a Cessna T188C, N2802J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Oregon, Illinois. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight.

A company responsible for delivering and loading agricultural chemicals was loading the airplanes for the operator. According to the loader, the pilot arrived at the Ogle County Airport (C55), Mount Morris, Illinois about 0600 to start his workday. He completed five flights to a field about 5 miles northeast of C55 and upon returning to the airport, the pilot reported having an issue with the product dispersal system. The ground crew cleaned the spraybar screen while the airplane was idling. The pilot requested a partial load of chemical so that in the event the dispersal system did not function properly, he would not land with a heavy load. The loader filled the liquid chemical hopper with the requested amount, and the pilot departed about 0930.

Multiple witnesses reported seeing the accident airplane in a “hard” left bank just over the top of standing corn, which stood about 8 ft tall. One witness reported that the airplane struck the powerline, impacted the ground nose first, bounced and immediately was engulfed in flames. The airplane skidded across a road and came to rest about 100 ft north of the initial impact point at the edge of a corn field. Cut powerlines were observed about 685 ft north of the departure end of runway 09 and portions were laid across the road. A utility pole was fractured and leaning in a north direction. A post-impact fire ensued.

The airplane came to rest on its left side on about a 300° heading. Ground scars included blue paint transfer and a cut in the asphalt road about 2.5 in. deep, consistent with propeller blade contact. All structural components and flight control surfaces were located at the accident site. The left elevator balance horn displayed evidence of scoring from the asphalt surface of the road. A 12 – 18 in. section of the outboard leading edge of the right wing, including part of the outboard rib and composite wing tip was found near a section of cut powerlines about 100 ft south of the main wreckage and had witness marks consistent with a wire strike. The remaining portion of the right wing leading edge was thermally damaged. None of the installed wire cutters displayed evidence of wire strikes or arcing.

Flight control cable continuity was established from the ailerons, elevators and rudder to the cockpit controls. The elevator trim control cable continuity was established from the trim tab to the forward chain in the cockpit that separated from the sprocket due to thermal damage. Flap control continuity was established from the flap handle to the pushrod attach structure on each flap. The flap handle position was found at full extension, however the actual flap position at the time of the accident could not be determined.

The cockpit and inboard wing sections were thermally damaged. The cockpit and instrument panel were thermally damaged in the post impact fire.

The emergency dump gate of the product dispersal system was thermally damaged. The gate door was thermally separated from its mounts; however, the hinges and door attach points were found in the closed position.

The fuel system was thermally damaged and could not be tested. The fuel strainer and header tank were not observed in the wreckage. Both wing tanks were ruptured, and any remaining fuel was consumed by fire.

A cursory examination of the engine was performed. The engine had been exposed to thermal damage. The top spark plugs were removed; the No. 2, 4, and 6 spark plugs were covered in oil due to the position of the engine. The plug electrodes were consistent with “worn out – normal” when compared to a Champion inspection chart. The fuel pump was removed and was unremarkable; the pump drive shaft was intact. The engine crankshaft was turned through by manually rotating the propeller which remained attached to the crankshaft; suction and compression were observed on all cylinders, and no internal binding was observed. Both magnetos remained attached to the engine. No spark was observed, however both magnetos had been exposed to thermal forces. The engine controls remained attached to the fuel control.

A borescope examination of the cylinders, piston faces, valves and lower sparkplugs found no anomalies.

The oil filter was removed and cut. The filter media was brittle and charred due to thermal forces, however no contaminants or particles were found.

All three propeller blades exhibited bending, curling, and chord-wise scratches. Two blades exhibited S bending, and one blade had 8 in. of the tip bent back on itself with a fracture at the bend. The retaining rings for all three blades separated and two of the blades rotated freely in the hub.

The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for future examination. 

Piper J-5C Cub Cruiser, N28151, fatal accident occurred on August 1, 2025, near Rochester, New York

• Location: Rochester, NY 
• Accident Number: ERA25FA283 
• Date & Time: August 1, 2025, 13:30 Local 
• Registration: N28151 
• Aircraft: Piper J5C 
• Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200680/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?NNumberTxt=N28151

On August 1, 2025, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Piper J5C, NC 28151, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Rochester, New York. The passenger was fatally injured, and the pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, the airplane had not flown in several months and he had to remove mud dauber nests from the wings. They took off from a private runway, which was the owner/passenger’s, on the west side of Rochester, New York and flew east for about 30 minutes to Whitfords Airport (B16), Weedsport, New York. They put 6 gallons of fuel in the airplane. The fuel sight gauges in each wing indicated full fuel tanks when they departed. The pilot added that during the return flight home, about 20 minutes into the flight, the engine started to surge. The engine rpm would go from full rpm of about 2,300 rpm to idle. Then seconds later, the engine would return to full power. Each time the engine would surge and go to an idle setting, the pilot would look for a place to land, either a parking lot or street. When the engine would return to full power, the pilot would climb and try to get as much altitude as possible. On the fifth or sixth time the engine surged, it lost all power, and the pilot tried to make a forced landing on a street. During the approach to land, the airplane contacted the top of a tree and then impacted the ground.

The accident site was compact and all major components of the airplane were present. The airplane’s six propeller bolts made 1” impression marks in the blacktop about 10 feet away from the main wreckage. The main wreckage came to rest inverted and oriented on a heading of 235°.

The leading edges of both wings were accordion crushed aft down their entire lengths. The fabric was torn on the wings and empennage from impact forces. The empennage was bent upward and forward. The instrument panel was crushed aft. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to all flight control surfaces. No electrical system was installed in the airplane. The rudder and elevator were intact and unremarkable. The ailerons were installed and intact. The left aileron connecting rod was impact fractured. Both wing fuel tanks were breached. There was no fuel in either tank. The fuel gasolator was removed. Dirt and debris was found at the bottom of the gasolator. Air was blown through the fuel lines and no obstructions were noted. No mud dauber nests were found in the fuel system; however, much of the system, including the vent, was impact damaged.

The wooden propeller was still connected to the engine’s propeller flange. One propeller blade was fractured and splintered. The spinner dome was crushed. The propeller flange was impact damaged and the crankshaft was bent. The magnetos were removed and their input drives were rotated by hand. The left magneto produced spark on all leads. The right magneto was impact damaged and the internal gears were crushed. The right magneto rotated but did not spark. The carburetor was fractured into several pieces from impact with the ground. The propeller was rotated by hand and thumb compression was established on all cylinders. A lighted borescope was used to inspect the inside of all of the engine’s cylinders with no anomalies noted. 

De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, N344CS, accident occurred on August 11, 2025, at San Clemente Island Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NUC/KNUC), San Clemente Island, California

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N344CS

On August 11, 2025, at about 1146 local time, a De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, N344CS, registered to Transport Company LLC out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and being operated by Rampart Aviation, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at San Clemente Island Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NUC/KNUC), San Clemente Island, California. Injury status is unknown at this point.

The NTSB added the event as an accident with case number WPR25LA250. Still awaiting further information from the FAA reports that will be released today. This event was not reported on social media/news outlets.

Preliminary ADS-B data shows that the airplane departed the San Diego-North Island NAS (NZY/KNZY), San Diego, California, at about 1109 LT, on a flight to KNUC. The airplane landed on runway 24 and suffered a runway excursion to the left.

Figure 1: ADS-B Exchange data

KNUC features a single concrete runway 6/24 that is 9301 x 200 ft.

The KNUC weather observation recorded at 1156 (10 minutes after the accident) noted: winds 210 at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, an overcast (OVC) ceiling at 600ft AGL, temperature 18°C, dew point 14°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.00 inches of mercury (inHg).

- METARs:

METAR KNUC 111756Z 23008KT 10SM OVC005 18/14 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP156 6//// T01780144 10183 20156 53004 PNO $

METAR KNUC 111856Z 21008KT 10SM OVC006 18/14 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP157 T01830144 PNO $