Yakovlev YAK 52 accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, April 26, 2018
On April 26, 2018 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 1993 Yakovlev YAK 52, registered N2YK, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland-Hillsboro airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to continue flight instead of conducting a precautionary landing at nearby airports.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2018 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Portland-Hillsboro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK 52 NO SERIES, built 1993 · all YAK 52s on the register
- Registration
- N2YK · no longer on the register · serial 9311703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were flying the airplane in formation with another airplane on a daytime visual flight rules positioning flight. According to the pilot of the other airplane, while abeam an airport on their route of flight, the accident pilot informed him that the engine had started to "miss" and that they needed to change their destination. As the airplane was south of another airport, the accident pilot informed the pilot of the other airplane that he might have to declare an emergency; however, he did not state the nature of his emergency. The flight continued, despite repeated attempts by the pilot of the other airplane to communicate with the accident pilot with no response. The pilot of the other airplane reported that both airplanes had overflown six airports that would have been suitable for an emergency landing. Ultimately, the accident airplane descended to a low altitude and impacted trees just south of the airport at which the accident pilot had originally intended to land. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The accident pilot had no memory of the accident sequence or the events that led to the impact with trees and terrain. The passenger recalled that at one point the engine sputtered. Postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and accessories revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 372 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 18, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ivchenko M14P (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum INC
The flight
- Departed from: 77S Creswell OR at 10:30 pm
- Destination: SPB Scappoose OR
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from HIO, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR18LA127.