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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2018 · about 11:20 pm local time · cases in 2018
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Portland-Hillsboro · cases near this airport · 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 10, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Record of Conversation - Passenger | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot of Other Airplane Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Airframe, Engine, and Component Examination | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2YK: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Yakovlev YAK 52 117 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Yakovlev 229 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Ivchenko M14P · as the NTSB recorded it
- Portland-Hillsboro Airport · nearest airport
- Hobby Field · departed from
- Scappoose Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,011 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR18LA127.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.