Two Killed as Cessna 195 Floatplane Strikes Wires, Crashes Into Columbia River

Two people were killed Wednesday, June 24, 2026, when a vintage Cessna 195 floatplane struck power lines and crashed into the Columbia River near Pasco, Wash. The aircraft, registration N3877V, went down after colliding with transmission wires running parallel to the Ed Hendler Cable Bridge, sending the plane into a nose-dive into the water below.

The victims were identified as Randy Peterson, 64, of Soma, Calif., the aircraft's registered owner, and passenger Eric Wayne Houston, 50. The pair were en route from Napa, Calif., to Priest Lake, Idaho, where they planned to attend the Tanglefoot Splash-In floatplane event.

The aircraft was subsequently recovered from the river. Early social media reports noted a small vegetation fire at the impact site. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have yet to issue formal statements on the cause of the accident. The Aviation Safety Network has logged the incident in its accident database.