Curtiss-Wright 12W accident near Woodland, Washington, July 26, 1998
On July 26, 1998 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Curtiss-Wright 12W, registered N11715, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodland, Washington (Woodland State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot in command misjudged clearance from high vegetation when he landed. Factors include inadequate mowing of high vegetation by airport personnel, providing insufficient clearance for the wingspan of landing airplanes
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1998 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Woodland, Washington · Woodland State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright 12W
- Registration
- N11715 · registry record · serial 2040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the antique biplane stated that he preferred to land on grass when possible, so he elected to land on the 800 foot grass overrun area of the 1965 foot runway. From the air, the freshly mowed overrun looked acceptable, with the eight to nine foot high stand of scotch bloom showing as a dark green from the air and appearing to be grass. He slipped to a landing, touched down straight and was tracking near the middle of the mowed area when his right wing tip caught in the scotch bloom. The vegetation pulled the aircraft off the right side of the runway, and the lower left wing impacted the ground, causing substantial damage. According to FAA inspectors, the first signatures of impact were 62 feet from the near end of the runway. The airplane came to a stop 247 feet from the near end of the runway. The width of the mowed area of the runway was 49.5 feet, at the time the FAA inspector checked it. The pilot stated that the mowed overrun of 800 feet was mowed 25 feet wide up to the edge of the eight to nine feet high scrub brush at the time of the accident, and that his airplane had a 28 foot wing span.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,714 hours in all; 1,254 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,018 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 1998; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kinner R-55 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Vancouver WA at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31, 1,965 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.