Siai-Marchetti SM 1019 accident near Richland, Washington, October 2, 2025
On October 2, 2025 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1976 Siai-Marchetti SM 1019, registered N3172U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Richland, Washington (Richland airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2025 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Richland, Washington · Richland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Siai-Marchetti SM 1019, built 1976 · all SM 1019s on the register
- Registration
- N3172U · registry record · serial 038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 2, 2025, about 1050 Pacific daylight time, a Siai-Marchetti SM 1019, N3172U, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Richland, Washington. The pilot and 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 departed Tri-Cities Airport (PSC), Pasco, Washington, on a local flight. About 45 minutes into the flight, he observed uncommanded engine rpm oscillations and decided to make a precautionary landing at Richland Airport (RLD), Richland, Washington. While on the downwind leg for runway 19, as the pilot moved the condition lever forward, it felt like the propeller was moving unsolicited, from beta to flight idle. He recalled that when he tried to return the propeller from beta, to flight idle, the engine rpm oscillations increased significantly. As the pilot turned onto final for runway 19, he noticed that the engine rpm oscillations became more erratic. The pilot stated that when the propeller felt like it had entered beta, the airspeed decreased below the airplane’s stall speed and thrusted the occupants forward in their seats. Subsequently, the pilot lowered the nose added power and noted that the slightest increase of the power control lever resulted in an extreme engine rpm increase followed by the nose of the airplane pitching upward. He applied 15° flaps and slowed the airplane to about 50 knots. The pilot stated that after touchdown, the landing roll was normal for about 50 ft. As he applied brakes, the engine rpm increased and the airplane became airborne. Subsequently, the airplane turned left, touched down hard on the runway, and the right main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was substantially damaged. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further 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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,558.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 4, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: D & D Airpark LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PSC Pasco WA at 6:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01/1, 4,009 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from KRLD
Weather report (METAR): METAR KRLD 021835Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/11 A3007 RMK AO2 T01900105=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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 WPR26LA006.