Two people were extricated from a small plane crash three miles east of Ridgefield, Washington, on Monday afternoon, Aug. 10. Both passengers were taken to hospitals, one via ambulance and the other via Life Flight, officials said.
911 call, dispatch, and investigations
Just before 1:00 p.m. local time, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) received a 911 call about an aircraft accident in the Daybreak area.
The caller provided initial information about the crash, and both occupants were conscious and breathing.
Clark‑Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR), American Medical Response (AMR), and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were immediately dispatched.
Further questioning by the CRESA call taker indicated that the crash occurred at the south end of the Daybreak airstrip, which is surrounded by trees and has limited visibility from nearby roads. CCSO said it took responders more than 20 minutes to find the crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that there were two people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board has yet to confirm the cause of the crash, but said the preliminary information indicates the crash happened while attempting to land.
The FAA temporarily closed the Daybreak airstrip following the crash. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating.
The occupants
Responders had to cut away parts of the aircraft, a Cessna 180, to reach the people inside.
Both occupants were injured. On Facebook, CCFR said,
“One patient has been transported to an area hospital via ground Ambulance. Second patient is expected to be taken to an area hospital via Lifeflight.”
Do many aircraft crash at landing?
Yes, most accidents in civil aviation happen during landing.
Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s interactive safety report shows that 52.6% (803) of all aviation accidents between 2005 and 2025 (1526) happened during the landing process.
In 2025, 29 accidents occurred during landing, with only one being fatal and zero onboard fatalities per million sectors (operation of an aircraft between one takeoff and one landing).
In comparison to 2005, 57 accidents occurred during landing, of which five were fatal, and 128 were onboard fatalities.
In 2025, a total of 51 accidents were recorded in 2025, compared with 54 in 2024. The accident rate went from 1.42 in 2024 down to 1.32 accidents per million sectors in 2025.
From IATA’s 2025 Safety Report – which can be found on their website – they state that:
“Commercial aviation remains one of the safest modes of public transportation. This is evidenced by a long-term trend showing a significant reduction in accident rates, from 1.61 accidents per million sectors in 2016 down to 1.32 accidents per million sectors in 2025.”
So, overall, with the proof of statistics, aviation has become safer.
What are your thoughts on this accident? Let us know in the comments below.
