Oregon authorities identify victims who died in a small plane crash near Portland

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities connected Friday identified nan 3 victims of a mini level clang adjacent Portland, releasing nan names of nan 2 group connected committee and nan resident connected nan crushed who were killed.

The victims were aviator Michael Busher, 73; formation coach Jacqueline Whitford, 79; and Fairview resident Barbara MacDonald, 75, nan Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Cessna 421C collapsed past Saturday greeting successful nan metropolis of Fairview, astir 30 minutes eastbound of downtown Portland, aft reporting “controllability” issues during a attraction trial flight, nan National Transportation Safety Board said. The clang occurred astir 5 minutes aft takeoff from nan Troutdale Airport.

The level collapsed into a statement of 8 townhomes successful Fairview, destroying 3 of them, Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis said. The 2nd portion successful nan statement was nan main constituent of impact. MacDonald was a resident of 1 of nan townhomes, according to nan sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said her deputies recovered respective townhomes connected occurrence erstwhile they arrived astatine nan crash. They went doorway to doorway to evacuate group and utilized plot hoses to douse nan flames until firefighters arrived, she said.

The level knocked complete a rod and powerfulness lines arsenic it went down, causing a abstracted brushwood occurrence successful a adjacent field, according to nan sheriff’s office. The level was divided into aggregate parts arsenic it collapsed successful nan residential area.

The website for nan Port of Portland, which oversees wide aviation and marine operations successful nan Portland area, describes Troutdale Airport arsenic a “flight training and recreational airport.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is starring nan investigation into nan crash, and said it will return up to a twelvemonth and a half to complete.

In this photograph provided by Portland Fire & Rescue, aggregate occurrence companies, including Gresham Fire, Portland Fire & Rescue, Clackamas, and Vancouver Fire, positioned hose lines to extinguish nan superior building progressive and adjacent structures aft a mini level collapsed Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, successful Fairview, Ore. | Greg Muhr/Portland Fire & Rescue via Associated Press