Kolb FIRESTAR 2 accident near La Center, Washington, April 6, 2020
On April 6, 2020 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 2013 Kolb FIRESTAR 2, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N90KL, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near La Center, Washington (Daybreak airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2020 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- La Center, Washington · Daybreak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb FIRESTAR 2, built 2013, amateur-built
- Registration
- N90KL · no longer on the register · serial F1196
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness observed the airplane maneuvering about 200 to 300 ft above the floor of a valley. The airplane was headed southwest then turned south flying above the tree line. The witness reported seeing the airplane make a sharp left turn and that it then stalled and collided with terrain in a near-vertical attitude. Impact damage precluded determination of the preimpact integrity of the airplane’s structure or its control systems. The airplane wreckage was sold before investigators were able to perform an examination.
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 control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 725 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: 1W1 Camas WA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 1W1 Camas WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPDX, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 2022. 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 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Autopsy Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.