2 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Into Washington River

A floatplane went down in the Columbia River near the Cable Bridge between Kennewick and Pasco on Wednesday afternoon.

Published: 6/25/2026, 3:39:39 PM EDT

2 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Into Washington River — Cable Bridge as seen from Clover Island in Kennewick, Wash., in April 2026. (Google Maps/Screenshot via NTD)

Two people were killed Wednesday afternoon when a small plane crashed into the Columbia River near a residential area in southern Washington.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office said the plane went down shortly after 3:30 p.m. in the water near the Cable Bridge, formerly known as the Ed Hendler Bridge, which connects the cities of Kennewick and Pasco.

Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary identified the victims as pilot Randy Peterson, 64, and passenger Eric Wayne Houston, 50, both residents of Sonoma, California, NonStop Local KHQ reported. The station said the pair were en route to an air show at Priest Lake, Idaho.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office told Fox 13 News in Seattle that the plane—identified by the Aviation Safety Network as a float-equipped Cessna 195—landed upside down in the water and drifted downstream. Officials had to use a crane to pull the aircraft out of the river.

Several local media outlets reported that the plane clipped a transmission line over Clover Island before crashing into the river. The Benton County Sheriff's Office said a large power line was down in the river following the incident and urged people to stay away from the scene.

"We are asking the public to avoid the area so emergency responders and utility crews have sufficient space to safely operate their vehicles and equipment," the department said, while asking boaters to steer clear of the Clover Island Marina's entrance and exit.

Pasco Police said the downed power line sparked a fire nearby that caused outages in the area, affecting a slew of homes, businesses, and traffic lights. The outage also cut electricity to local pump stations and the water treatment plant, leading city officials to urge residents to conserve water until further notice.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office reopened access to the marina shortly before 4:30 p.m., stationing officers in the area to help direct boats through the no-wake zone.

"Benton County’s assistance at the scene has concluded, and the investigation is now being handled by our partner agencies in Franklin County," the department said around 5 p.m. "This concludes our updates for this incident."

In an update posted at 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday, officials announced that the conservation request had been lifted.

The cause of the crash remains unclear, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. NTD reached out to the agency, along with the Benton County Sheriff's Office and the Kennewick Police Department, for comment, but a response was not received by publication time.