A man was killed today when the small aircraft he was piloting crashed into a bluff on Whidbey Island, according to the Island County Sheriff's Office.
The crash occurred on Central Whidbey at Ebey's Bluff, between Perego's Lake and the parking lot at the northern end of Hill Road, at about 4 p.m. The pilot has yet to be identified but the plane has been confirmed as belonging to the Whidbey Island Navy Flying Club.
"I can identify that it was not a military member and not a student pilot," said Kimberly Martin, public affairs officer for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
The aircraft was engulfed in flames about one-third of the way from the top of the bluff, an area that is a popular spot for hiking. Firefighters responded and extinguished the flames.
According to Island County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Garden, one witness did see the crash.
"She saw it coming in and didn't hear the motor running," Garden said. "She thought it looked like they were making an emergency landing and didn't quite make the top of the hill."
Another man, who asked to remain anonymous but identified himself as a flight instructor, said the plane appeared to be a Piper. The man said he saw the smoke while driving on a nearby road and came to see if he could help.
"I ran down here thinking someone may have been able to crawl out," he said.
He arrived to find the plane partially intact – its wings were still attached – but on fire. The aircraft's orientation on the bluff indicated that it did not hit the bluff head on and the flames make it unlikely that the aircraft was out of fuel, he said.
"There's no way he'd be out of gas and burning like that," the man said.
Island County Sheriff Mark confirmed that only one person was on board. Brown said the person was deceased.
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A pilot was killed when a small plane crashed on Whidbey Island on Thursday afternoon, the Naval Air Station Whidbey Flying Club said.
The Flying Club, which also claimed ownership of the plane, said the person killed was a certified pilot but was not a member of the military.
Images from Chopper 7 showed several emergency vehicles and the smoking wreckage near the water on Whidbey. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper aircraft was flying from Whidbey Island to Paine Field in Everett when it crashed at Ebey Field. No flight plan was filed or required, the FAA said.
The Flying Club said there should have been one person on board. Nothing has been confirmed about the actual number of people on the plane.
A pilot was killed when a small plane crashed on Whidbey Island on Thursday afternoon, the Naval Air Station Whidbey Flying Club said.
The Flying Club, which also claimed ownership of the plane, said the person killed was a certified pilot but was not a member of the military.
Images from Chopper 7 showed several emergency vehicles and the smoking wreckage near the water on Whidbey. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper aircraft was flying from Whidbey Island to Paine Field in Everett when it crashed at Ebey Field. No flight plan was filed or required, the FAA said.
The Flying Club said there should have been one person on board. Nothing has been confirmed about the actual number of people on the plane.
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