Cessna 150E N3037J accident near Siler, Washington

Preliminary information

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.

Text from the NTSB; a preliminary report can change and names no cause. Open the NTSB docket for WPR26LA327 for the full record.