Two Killed as Float-Equipped Cessna 195 Strikes Power Lines Over Columbia River

Two men from Sonoma, California, were killed Wednesday when their float-equipped Cessna 195 — registration N3877V — struck a power transmission line and plunged into the Columbia River near the Cable Bridge in Pasco, Washington. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office are jointly investigating the accident.

Witnesses reported the aircraft flying at low altitude over the river near Clover Island and Riverview Park before it clipped the power infrastructure, flipping inverted into the water. The impact triggered a major power outage affecting thousands of homes and businesses in Kennewick and Pasco. First responders also contained a small vegetation fire ignited by downed lines, according to NBC Right Now and FOX 13 Seattle. The Washington State Department of Ecology reported a minor fuel spill that evaporated quickly in high temperatures, with drone surveys confirming no visible sheen downstream.

Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary identified the victims as pilot Randy J. Peterson, 64, and passenger Eric Wayne Houston, 50, both of Sonoma. The pair had departed the Nampa River floatplane area in Idaho at approximately 7 a.m. and were bound for an air show at Priest Lake, Idaho. Recovery crews used a crane to lift the wreckage from the river, where both victims were recovered. The NTSB has confirmed it is investigating; a probable cause has not been determined.