Emigh TROJAN A2 accident near Healdsburg, California, June 21, 2026
On June 21, 2026 at about 7:10 pm local time, a 1948 Emigh TROJAN A2, registered N8329H, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Healdsburg, California. It was an instructional 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).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2026 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Healdsburg, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Emigh TROJAN A2 NO SERIES, built 1948 · all TROJAN A2s on the register
- Registration
- N8329H · registry record · serial 32
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On June 21, 2026, about 1210 Pacific daylight time, an Emigh Trojan A-2, N8329H, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Healdsburg, California. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the flight instructor, the flight departed on a planned visual flight rules cross-country instructional flight. The takeoff and initial climb were normal. About 7 to 8 minutes after departure, while the airplane was about 2,200 ft mean seal level, the propeller separated from the engine. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and maneuvered it for a forced landing in a plowed vineyard. After touchdown, the airplane traveled over rough terrain and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest on a dirt road within the vineyard. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage during the impact sequence. The propeller was not recovered. Photographs provided by an FAA inspector revealed that the crank flange fractured from the crankshaft. (See figure 1). The airplane was recovered for further examination. Figure 1: Fractured Crankshaft (Courtesy of FAA)
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: STS Santa Rosa CA at 6:42 pm
- Destination: WLW Willows CA
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from KSTS, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSTS 211853Z VRB05KT 10SM SCT013 18/13 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP126 T01830128
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.