Piper PA-46-310P Malibu, N123SB: Fatal accident occurred April 07, 2017 near Mahlon Sweet Field Airport (KEUG), Harrisburg, Linn County, Oregon

Airplane pilot Mark Gregory Aletky of Acton, California, with the Piper PA-46-310P  Malibu that crashed on April 07, 2017 near Harrisburg, Oregon.

 (Photo courtesy of Joseph Aletky)

John Zitting, wife Karen Zitting and son John “Brendan” Zitting of Thousand Oaks. The family, along with pilot Mark Aletky of Acton, California died in a Piper PA-46-310P Malibu plane crash in Oregon on April 07, 2017.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Hillsboro, Oregon
Piper Aircraft 
Continental Motors Inc

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 

http://registry.faa.gov/N123SB 

Location: Harrisburg, OR
Accident Number: WPR17FA085
Date & Time: 04/07/2017, 1048 PDT
Registration: N123SB
Aircraft: PIPER PA 46-310P
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 4 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On April 7, 2017, about 1048 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-46-310P, N123SB, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Harrisburg, Oregon, during an instrument approach to Mahlon Sweet Field Airport (EUG), Eugene, Oregon. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Park City Aviation, LLC under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated from Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, at 0727.

Data from an onboard Appareo Stratus 2S indicated that the airplane took off from VNY at 0721:37 and leveled off at its cruise altitude of 14,200 ft GPS altitude on a generally direct route toward EUG.

At 1019, the pilot began a descent consistent with arrival in the EUG terminal area. During the approach to EUG, the pilot was in radar contact with the Cascade Approach/Eugene Tower control facility. Review of air traffic control communications revealed that, at 1038:24, the controller instructed the pilot to descend to 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and to expect the ILS RWY16L approach. About two minutes later, the controller advised the pilot of an area of moderate to heavy precipitation at his 11-to-2'o-clock position. He asked the pilot to verify that he had received the current weather observation at the airport; the pilot confirmed that he had. Shortly thereafter, the pilot reported that the airplane was in heavy precipitation and requested vectors to the localizer and a descent to 2,000 ft msl. By 10:43:48, the airplane passed east of EUG, descending through 3,573 ft as it was being vectored for the approach at EUG. At this time, the recorded pitch attitude was about 3.5° nose down. At 1045, Cascade Approach advised the pilot of heavy to extreme precipitation in the area. Between 1046:36 and 1047:04, the airplane turned west at an altitude about 1,870 ft, and the groundspeed changed from 144 knots to 75 knots. At 1047:41, the recorded pitch angle began to increase as the pilot began to turn left at an altitude of 1,923 ft. At 1047:49, the recorded left bank angle was 42° and the recorded pitch angle was 13.6° nose up, as the airplane turned through a heading of 205°. At 1047:56, the recorded left bank angle reached 95°, with a pitch attitude of 35° nose down. The airplane descended through 1,125 ft with a nose-down pitch attitude of 30° and a left bank angle of about 70°. Shortly thereafter, the airplane briefly rolled wings-level before entering a right roll. As the airplane continued to descend, the right bank increased to 173° and the pitch angle reached 66° nose-down. At 1048:12, the groundspeed decreased to 0, consistent with ground impact. At 1048:13, the controller advised the pilot to maintain 2,000 ft msl until he intercepted the glideslope and cleared him for the approach. The pilot acknowledged the clearance. About 13 seconds later, the controller requested that the pilot check his altitude and instructed him to climb and maintain 2,000 ft msl. The pilot did not respond. The controller then issued the pilot multiple low altitude alerts and attempted to contact him on guard frequency; there were no further communications from the accident airplane. (NOTED: slight time discrepancy between Appareo Stratus and ATC clocks)

A witness located about 1/2 mile from the accident site, heard a loud engine noise and observed the airplane flying above her house toward the north. A second later, the engine went completely quiet. She continued to watch the airplane as it descended before it disappeared from her sight behind a tree line.

Another witness, who was located about 1.2 miles from the accident site, observed the airplane flying in a northerly direction above the treetops. The airplane then entered a near-vertical nose dive and disappeared behind a tree line. 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 67, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Sea; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap Only
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/02/2017
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 5060 hours (Total, all aircraft), 4890 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 109 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft) 

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings. The pilot was issued a second-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical certificate on February 2, 2017, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. On the application for that medical certificate, the pilot reported 5,025 total hours of flight experience of which 45 hours were in the previous six months. The pilot's digital logbook, dated February 8, 2017, indicated that he had accumulated a total of 5,060 flight hours, with about 163 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and 25 hours of instrument time in the preceding 6 months. His total instrument flight experience could not be determined.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: PIPER
Registration: N123SB
Model/Series: PA 46-310P 310P
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1984
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 46-8508023
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 01/24/2017, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 4101 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 3681.72 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: TSIO-520BE2F
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 310 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The six-seat, single-engine, low-wing, retractable landing gear airplane, serial number 46-8508023, was manufactured in 1984. It was powered by a Continental Motors, Inc., TSIO-520-BE2F reciprocating engine, serial number 273821-R, rated at 310 horsepower. The airplane was also equipped with a Hartzell two-bladed constant speed propeller, model F8052. A review of maintenance records showed that the most recent annual inspection was completed January 24, 2017, at a total aircraft time of 3,681.72 hours.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KEUG, 373 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1054 PDT
Direction from Accident Site: 190°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 2400 ft agl
Visibility:  7 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 3500 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 18 knots / 26 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 200°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 29.51 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 8°C / 7°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: Light - Rain
Departure Point: VAN NUYS, CA (VNY)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: EUGENE, OR (OG32)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 0722 PDT
Type of Airspace: 

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) staff meteorologist prepared a factual report for the area and time surrounding the accident.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued Day 1 Convective Outlook at 0917, predicting areas of general thunderstorms for the accident site during the day of the accident.

An Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) located at EUG reported at 1054 wind from 200° at 18 knots with gusts to 26 knots, 7 miles visibility, light rain, few clouds at 2,400 ft above ground level (agl), overcast ceiling at 3,500 ft agl, temperature 8°C, dew point 7°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.51 inches of mercury. The observations from EUG indicated that surface wind gusts to 35 knots were observed around the accident time with marginal visual flight rules (VFR) to VFR ceiling conditions.

A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model sounding for the accident site at 1100 indicated a conditionally unstable environment from the surface through 4,500 ft msl, a possibility of low-level wind shear (LLWS) between the surface and 1,000 ft msl, and a possibility of clear-air turbulence in two layers between the surface and 9,000 ft msl.

Several pilot reports (PIREPs) were made near EUG around the time of the accident, which included base and top cloud information, LLWS on approach to Redmond, Oregon, and icing conditions above 6,000 ft; however, none of these PIREPs were given to the accident pilot, nor did the controller solicit a PIREP from the pilot during the approach. 

The visible satellite data imagery indicated cloud cover above the accident site at the time of the accident, with cumuliform cloud cover moving from southwest to northeast. The clouds were expanding in coverage above the accident site at the time of the accident, consistent with rain shower growth and strong updrafts and downdrafts.

AIRMET advisories Sierra and Tango, issued for the area of the accident site at the time of the accident, warned of mountain obscuration conditions in clouds and precipitation, moderate turbulence below 16,000 ft msl, and LLWS conditions.

An area forecast issued at 0345 and valid at the time of the accident forecast a broken ceiling at 6,000 ft agl, with layered clouds through 24,000 ft, moderate rain, and a south wind gusting to 45 knots. A Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) issued at 0917 forecast wind from 180° at 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots, greater than 6 miles visibility, light rain showers, broken ceiling at 2,000 ft agl, and overcast skies at 5,000 ft agl. The 1020 TAF forecast wind from 180° at 25 knots with gusts to 35 knots, greater than 6 miles visibility, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 2,500 ft agl, broken ceiling at 3,500 ft agl, and overcast skies at 4,000 ft agl.

The local NWS Office in Portland, Oregon, issued a wind advisory at 0727 and valid through 1700, to warn of a south wind of 25 to 35 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph at the surface. A similar wind advisory was issued at 0240, warning of the gusty south winds between 0700 and 1700 for the accident site and the surrounding area.

The pilot obtained weather information through ForeFlight and Leidos graphics and texts at 0416 and 0417. In the ForeFlight graphical and text weather briefing, the pilot received AIRMETs Sierra and Tango. All were valid along the route or at the intended destination. The pilot also received the Area Forecast, the SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook, and the winds aloft forecast, with no urgent PIREPs along the route of flight before 0417. The 0354 surface observation at EUG included temperature 11°C, dew point 7°C, altimeter 29.92 inches of mercury, peak wind from 180° at 37 knots at 0357, rain ended at 0349, sea level pressure 891 hPa, and a one-hour precipitation total of 0.01in.

The pilot did not receive an official weather brief through Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS), voice Lockheed Martin Flight Service (LMFS) or Leidos. It is unknown if the accident pilot checked or received additional weather information before or during the accident flight.

Several hours after the accident, the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) observed a 140-ft-by-150-ft area of disturbed, flattened tall grass located about 450 ft southwest of the accident site. That was the only area in the field where tall grass had been flattened. Images of the grass were provided to NWS personnel, who estimated that it would take greater than 35-knot winds to lay over tall grass as the images indicated. The NWS indicated that a microburst or bow echo type of outflow event could not be ruled out.

The complete weather report is in the public docket for this accident.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 3 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 44.292500, -123.182222 (est) 

The airplane impacted terrain about 12 miles north of EUG at an elevation about 276 ft.

The wreckage debris path was oriented on a magnetic heading about 001° and was about 93 ft in length; the main wreckage was oriented on a heading about 010° magnetic. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was characterized by a 22-ft-by-35-ft area of disturbed soil that resembled a silhouette of an airplane, consistent with impact in a level attitude. Visible evidence of the landing gear impact was present. Both the left and right ailerons were separated from the fuselage and located within the area of the FIPC. All three landing gear were separated; both left and right landing gear were located resting adjacent to each other on their respective sides of the fuselage, about 75 ft from the FIPC. The main wreckage comprised of the engine, fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The wreckage exhibited significant impact damage. As a result of the impact sequence, the cabin area was displaced, with significant compression of the fuselage structure into the area of the two front seats. The engine cowling was found open and crushed backward toward the windshield. Both the forward and side windows were shattered.

The propeller was found attached to the engine. One blade was straight and the other was bent backward about 90°, consistent with the blade impacting the ground. The engine was covered with dirt.

The instrument panel exhibited impact damage, with multiple instruments displaced from the panel. Flight instruments on the right side of the instrument panel were readable; the airspeed indicator indicated 100 knots, the altimeter indicated about 2,700 ft with a Kollsman setting of 29.5 in, the vertical speed indictor indicated about 2,200 ft per minute rate of climb, the heading indicator indicated 312°, and the inclinometer on a turn-and-slip indicator was in its right-most position. Throttle, propeller and mixture levers were found in a full forward position.

Both wings remained partially attached to the fuselage at their roots. The left and right flaps remained attached to their respective wings. The empennage remained partially attached to the fuselage. The rudder and both horizontal stabilizers remained attached to the empennage. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site. 

Examination of the airframe, engine, and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. The complete engine and airframe examination report is appended to this accident in the public docket. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Office of the State Medical Examiner at Linn County, Clackamas, Oregon, completed an autopsy on the pilot and concluded that the cause of death was multiple blunt force traumatic injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology testing on specimens from the pilot. The results of the testing were negative for ethanol and listed drugs.

Additional Information

An Apple iPad Mini 3, a Garmin Aera 796, and an Appareo Stratus 2S were located at the accident site and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for download. Due to extensive damage, no data was recovered from the iPad. The Garmin Aera user interface was inoperative, and only the startup screen was documented. No further information was obtained from the device. The Appareo Stratus 2S recorded the accident flight; data were recovered using the Foreflight application.

The FAA's Advisory Circular AC 00-6B, "Aviation Weather" describes many weather hazards, including downbursts and microbursts. Section 19.6.3 states,

Downbursts can create hazardous conditions for pilots and have been responsible for many low-level wind shear accidents. Smaller, shorter-lived downbursts are called microbursts. A downburst is especially dangerous to airplanes when it is encountered when climbing for takeoff or approaching to land. During this phase, the aircraft is operating at relatively slow speeds. A major change of wind velocity can lead to loss of lift and a crash.

FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control, prescribes air traffic control procedures and phraseology for use by personnel providing air traffic control services. Chapter 2, Section 6, Weather Information, states that, "Timely dissemination of PIREPs alerts pilots to significant weather reports." Paragraph 2-6-2 a. states:

Solicit PIREPs when requested, deemed necessary or any of the following conditions exists or is forecast for the area of your jurisdiction:

1. Ceilings at or below 5,000 feet. These PIREPs must include cloud base/top reports when feasible. When providing approach control services, ensure that at least one descent/climb-out PIREP, including cloud base(s), top(s), and other related phenomena, is obtained each hour.

2. Visibility (surface or aloft) at or less than 5 miles.

3. Thunderstorms and related phenomena.

4. Turbulence of moderate degree or greater.

5. Icing of light degree or greater.


6. Wind shear.

NTSB Identification: WPR17FA085
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 07, 2017 in Harrisburg, OR
Aircraft: PIPER PA 46-310P, registration: N123SB
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On April 7, 2017, about 1046 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-46-310P, N123SB, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Harrisburg, Oregon during an instrument approach to Mahlon Sweet Field Airport (EUG), Eugene, Oregon. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Park City Aviation, LLC as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules plan had been filed for the cross-country flight that originated from Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California at 0727.

Preliminary weather report indicated that the airplane was landing in strong wind conditions, moderate to severe turbulence, and low level wind sheer with precipitation and mountain obscuration due to clouds/mist/precipitation. Several witnesses located near the accident area reported they observed the airplane flying at a treetop level.

The brother of a man killed in a small plane crash Friday along with his wife and their teenaged son in Oregon recalled the Thousand Oaks family Sunday as fun-loving go-getters with a zest for life and pursuing their dreams.

John A. Zitting, 42, his wife, Karen Blackmore Zitting, 37, and their 17-year-old son, John “Brendan” Zitting, died in the tragic crash just before 11 a.m. Friday in a field near an airport about 2 miles north of Harrisburg, Ore., according to Linn County sheriff’s officials.

“We were definitely not expecting this because (John Zitting) lived life to the fullest, he loved to travel and see new places, loved the ocean,” said brother Mark Zitting, 34, of Heber City, Utah, by phone. “He had a yacht and they spent a lot of time on the ocean when they could. They were all great examples and good people. They were definitely way too young to go.”

Also killed was Mark Gregory Aletky, 67, of Acton, a certified pilot hired by the Zitting family to fly them from Van Nuys to Eugene, Ore., in a single-engine, six-seat 1984 Piper PA-46-310P, sheriff’s officials said. All four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

Aletky was an “excellent pilot” who started flying in the 1980s, got his commercial license and flew charter and private jets all over the country for various companies, said long-time friend Jay, who declined to give his last name and works at the Whiteman Airport-based Rotor FX company, where Aletky functioned as a chief pilot for more than a decade.

Jay said he probably received more than 100 calls in the last two days at Rotor FX, which offers flight training with airplanes, helicopters and drones as well as aerial tours, regarding Aletky’s death. The experienced pilot was friendly, well liked and well respected, he said.

He was “probably the best tour pilot in Los Angeles,” Jay said. “He just had that personality. He connected with people, loved flying people around and showing them around the city. He did thousands and thousands of tours over the years.”

Aletky, who is survived by a wife, three children and two grandchildren, had fairly recently passed his medical exam, which is required by the Federal Aviation Administration of commercial pilots every two years, Jay said.

To qualify for insurance, Aletky also had received specialized training in the Bay Area to fly the specific plane he flew the Zittings in, Jay said. Aletky was recently hired to fly the plane for John Zitting’s company, TruNorthe LLC, to shuttle people between offices, Jay said.

On Friday, the tight-knit Zitting family had flown up to Oregon so that Brendan, a senior at Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks, could tour the University of Oregon. He was days away from celebrating his 18th birthday, his uncle said.

While Brendan had already been accepted into a university in Arizona, he was still exploring his options, Mark Zitting said.

“Brendan was a great student, top of his class, on the swim team,” he said. “He was a very smart, fun, young man to be around and know.”

Brendan, who was noticeable for his great stature, was skilled with computers and was making his own computer game programs, said Karen Zitting’s brother, Arthur Blackmore, by phone from a suburb of Salt Lake City. Brendan was interested in studying computer science, he said.

John Zitting met his wife Karen through acquaintances while they were both living in northern Utah and they started their life together there. John Zitting owned a construction company in Utah, Diamond Z Construction, with his wife assisting him with the business. The family moved to Southern California and John Zitting started TruNorthe LLC, a Simi Valley-based construction management company, about seven years ago. His wife helped out with this business in addition to working as an esthetician, Mark Zitting said.

“They put everything they had into what they did; whether it was traveling or working, they were nonstop,” Mark Zitting said.

Karen Zitting, one of 12 siblings, was a family-oriented woman who was “very loved” by those who knew her, touching lives with her positive and fun-loving personality, her brother said.

She was “just one of those people you always enjoyed having around,” Blackmore said.

John Zitting was also one of 12 siblings, his brother said. Just two days before the crash, Mark Zitting said he saw his brother in Long Beach for coffee during a spring break trip to Southern California.

“We were just talking about life. ... And how busy it is and Brendan going to college. ... How time flies,” he said. “We definitely didn’t talk about death.”

The Zittings also had a small dog named Leno, who was a part of the family for many years and whom they all adored, Mark Zitting said. He said he believes Leno was being cared for by a friend at the time of the plane crash and will now be taken in by a family member.

Funeral arrangements for the family were still pending as of Sunday morning.

“John was not only my brother but my role model from the day I was born,” Mark Zitting added Sunday via text message. “He will be extremely missed and never forgotten by many. They were as sweet and beautiful as a family can be.”

•  Original article can be found here:   http://www.dailynews.com





Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley reports the victims of a plane crash that occurred on April 7, 2017, have been identified.Harrisburg Plane Crash

Investigators have learned that a 1984 Piper PA-46-310P, registered to Park City Aviation LLC from Park City, Utah was piloted by Mark Gregory Aletky, 67, from Acton, California. The plane is a single-engine, six-seat plane, and was based out of Van Nuys, California. The plane left Van Nuys yesterday at approximately 7:22 a.m., enroute to Eugene, Oregon.

Aletky was hired by Park City Aviation for the flight and was a certificated pilot.

Investigators learned the plane was flying on instrument and was approaching the Eugene Airport. Witnesses in Harrisburg described seeing the plane flying north at a low altitude when, for unknown reasons, it suddenly turned and crashed into a grass field just west of Peoria Road, which is approximately two miles north of Harrisburg. It is unknown at this time why the plane continued north past the Eugene Airport.

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 Center received the call at 10:53 a.m.

It was discovered that John A. Zitting, 42, hired Aletky to fly him, his wife and their son, to Eugene. John Zitting was found in the front passenger seat. Seated behind the pilot was Zitting’s spouse, Karen Blackmore Zitting, 37, and their son, John Brendan Zitting, 17, was seated behind his father. The Zitting family is from Thousand Oaks, California.

All occupants of the plane died in the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived on scene yesterday at 4:40 p.m. to assist with the investigation. Linn County Sheriff deputies were also assisted by the Harrisburg Fire Department.

The wreckage is scheduled to be removed this weekend.

Autopsies on Aletky and John Zitting are being conducted today and the investigation is on-going as to the cause of the crash.

• Audio: 911 dispatch tape of plane crash discovery:  https://www.linnsheriff.org

Officials in Linn County, Oregon, have identified a family of three from Thousand Oaks and a pilot from Acton who died in a small plane crash on Friday.

John A. Zitting, 42, his wife Karen Blackmore Zitting, 37, and their 17-year-old son, John Brendan Zitting, died in the 10:53 a.m. crash in a field near an airport about two mile north of Harrisburg, Oregon, Linn County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement Saturday.

Also killed was Mark Gregory Aletky, 67, of Acton, a certified pilot hired by the Zitting family to fly them from Van Nuys, California to Eugene, Oregon in a single-engine, six-seat 1984 Piper PA-46-310P, sheriff’s officials said.

“Investigators learned the plane was flying on instrument and was approaching the Eugene Airport,” according the Linn County Sheriff’s Office statement. “Witnesses in Harrisburg described seeing the plane flying north at a low altitude when, for unknown reasons, it suddenly turned and crashed into a grass field just west of Peoria Road.”

The aircraft flew past Eugene Airport prior to the crash, authorities said. It was unclear why.

All four occupants of the airplane were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Oregonian reported that the family was on their way to a college scouting trip for John Brendan Zitting, a high school senior, at the University of Oregon.

In a 911 dispatch tape released by the sheriff’s department, a man who identified himself as Loren Later reports discovering the grisly scene.

“A small aircraft just crashed into a field,” the witness reported as he made his way to the crash scene to try to help with coworkers after seeing the airplane fall from the sky from a nearby office.

“Is anybody in there? Yeah, there’s people in here,” Later is heard saying. “Four people.”

“Nobody is conscious,” he said. “We’re checking to see if there’s a pulse or anything... four people, no pulse.. there’s nobody that appears to be alive.”

“The cockpit is really smashed up. The windshield has got blood splattered on it,” the witness reported.

He added that the weather conditions at the crash scene were “brutal.”

The aircraft was based out of Van Nuys Airport, and the pilot worked for Park City Aviation, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived on scene Friday afternoon to join the investigation into the cause of the crash, sheriff’s officials said. Authorities planned to remove the wreckage sometime over the weekend.

Source:  http://www.dailynews.com

A construction management company executive, his wife and their 17-year-old son along with the 67-year-old pilot died when their small plane crashed on a college scouting trip to the University of Oregon, officials said Saturday. 

The family from Thousand Oaks, California, was headed to Eugene with their son, who is a high school senior, because he was considering attending the university, a family friend told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The Linn County Sheriff's Office identified them as  John A. Zitting, 42, Karen Blackmore Zitting, 37, and John Brendan Zitting, 17.

Mark Gregory Aletky of Acton, California, was the pilot of the 1984 Piper PA-46-310P that crashed Friday morning in a field near Harrisburg.

The single-engine, six-seat plane known popularly as a Piper Malibu, is based out of Van Nuys, California, and is registered to Park City Aviation LLC in Park City, Utah.

The plane left Van Nuys at 7:22 a.m. Friday, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators learned the plane was flying on instrument and was approaching the Eugene Airport, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Witnesses in Harrisburg described seeing the plane flying north at a low altitude when, for unknown reasons, it suddenly turned and crashed into a grass field just west of Peoria Road, about two miles north of Harrisburg.

"It is unknown at this time why the plane continued north past the Eugene Airport," the news release says, adding that the Linn County Sheriff's Office 9-1-1 Center received a call about the crash at 10:53 a.m.

The wreckage is scheduled to be removed this weekend.

Autopsies on Aletky and John Zitting are being conducted Saturday. John Zitting was found in the front passenger seat of the plane. Karen Zitting was seated behind the pilot. Their son was seated behind his father.

Zitting is president of TruNorthe LLC, a construction management company.

TruNorthe's director of human resources, Tara Harris, described John Zitting as fun, entertaining and a hands-on leader.

"He was very well liked, well loved," Harris said. "I've had a lot of bosses, and I really didn't care when their birthday was. Everybody cared about his birthday. We had a party."

Zitting had recently been traveling a lot in an effort to grow TruNorthe, Harris said. The company now employs about 30 people. Six or seven were hired in the past couple of weeks, Harris said.

Zitting was excited to have bought a plane and hired a pilot, said Harris, who met Mark Aletky when he dropped off paperwork at the office. Aletky was a full-time employee of TruNorthe, Harris said.

"They were great people," said Sean Sullivan, marketing director for TruNorthe.

"His son was going off to college and that's why they were going to Oregon," Sullivan said, adding that the younger Zitting, a senior at West Lake (California) High School was also considering the University of Arizona and other schools. The son was the couple's only child.

Zitting started TruNorthe in 2010, Sullivan said. While it is based in Park City, Utah, Zitting primarily worked out of the company's Burbank, California, office.

"John by trade was a builder. He built homes, hotels, chalets," in Utah and Wyoming, Sullivan said.

Aletky was a professional drummer in California before deciding at age 45 that he wanted to be a pilot, embarking on a second career in which he rose in qualifications to the point where he flew Lear jets, said his son Joseph Aletky.

Joseph Aletky said his father had attended a training course in northern California specific to the Piper PA-46-310P. He also said his father had experience in flying aircraft in a wide variety of situations and, in a profession that measures experience in time in the aircraft, "had thousands and thousands of hours."

Aletky, 30, said his father, who also has worked as a flight instructor, started teaching him how to fly when he was a boy. He said he knew he was biased in his opinion of his father's flying abilities.

But, "Out of all the pilots I've met, he was extraordinary in his ability. I know if any situation would arise, he would be the guy to meet that."

Aletky, one of the pilot's three children, said he was perplexed by what he has read thus far about the crash.

"I can't understand it. We've had things happen in the air. We've dealt with it. He's not the type to panic. He takes things by the reins and makes sure what needs to get done gets done."
A National Transportation Safety Board investigator, meanwhile, plans to interview three witnesses Saturday who saw an airplane plummet to the ground.

The investigator also will work to continue gathering data on the plane, pilot and circumstances surrounding the crash, said NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson.

Three witnesses interviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday gave a similar version of events preceding the crash: A low-flying plane suddenly flipped on its side then traveled traveled straight down until it was out of sight. Strong winds buffeted the area at the time.

The investigator for the NTSB, which is the agency that will determine the cause of the crash, expects to be in the Harrisburg area until Sunday, Knudson said. More than one tablet computer was recovered from the site, he said, and they will be shipped to the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., for inspection because one of them likely was used for navigation.

In addition to looking at weather conditions at the time of the crash, the investigator will want to know what weather information was available to the pilot prior to departure and how current the information was. In general, the investigator will want to know the pilot's pre-flight planning, he said.

"We'll try to understand what happened to pilot three days prior," he said, a routine part of a crash investigation, searching for "anything that could have affected the pilot's ability to safely operate that aircraft (such as) sleep, rest cycle."

Also, the pilot's license will be considered, along with hours of experience, recent flying experience, medical certification and medical records.

The aircraft will be examined along with its maintenance records, Knudson said. "Was there sufficient fuel?" he said, posing another area the NTSB would consider. The fact there was no post-crash fire was "helpful," he said, as no instrumentation was destroyed.


Original article can be found here:   http://www.oregonlive.com

Mark Gregory Aletky, 67, of Acton, California, was identified Saturday as the pilot of a 1984 Piper PA-46-310P that crashed Friday near Harrisburg, killing Aletky and three passengers, the Linn County Sheriff's Office announced Saturday.

The sheriff's office said John A. Zitting, 42, hired Aletky to fly him; his wife and their son, to Eugene. John Zitting was found in the front passenger seat. Seated behind the pilot was Zitting's spouse, Karen Blackmore Zitting, 37, and their son, John Brendan Zitting, 17, was seated behind his father. The Zitting family is from Thousand Oaks, California.

The single-engine, six-seat plane is based out of Van Nuys and is registered to Park City Aviation LLC in Park City, Utah. Aletky was hired by Park City Aviation for the flight and was a certificated pilot.

The plane left Van Nuys at 7:22 a.m. Friday en route to Eugene, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office said in a news release that investigators learned the plane was flying on instrument and was approaching the Eugene Airport.

Witnesses in Harrisburg described seeing the plane flying north at a low altitude when, for unknown reasons, it suddenly turned and crashed into a grass field just west of Peoria Road, which is approximately two miles north of Harrisburg.

"It is unknown at this time why the plane continued north past the Eugene Airport," the news release says, adding that the Linn County Sheriff's Office 9-1-1 Center received a call about the crash at 10:53 a.m.

The wreckage is scheduled to be removed this weekend.

Autopsies on Aletky and John Zitting are being conducted today and the investigation is on-going as to the cause of the crash.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator, meanwhile, plans to interview three witnesses Saturday who saw an airplane plummet to the ground.

The investigator also will work to continue gathering data on the plane, pilot and circumstances surrounding the crash that was reported to 911 shortly before 11 a.m. Friday, said NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson.

Three witnesses interviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday gave a similar version of events preceding the crash: A low-flying plane suddenly flipped on its side then traveled traveled straight down until it was out of sight. Strong winds buffeted the area at the time.

The investigator for the NTSB, which is the agency that will determine the cause of the crash, expects to be in the Harrisburg area until Sunday, Knudson said. He said more than one tablet computer was recovered from the site and those will be shipped to the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., for inspection because one of them likely was used for navigation.

In addition to looking at weather conditions at the time of the crash, the investigator will want to know what weather information was available to the pilot prior to departure and how current the information was. In general, the investigator will want to know the pilot's pre-flight planning, he said.

"We'll try to understand what happened to pilot three days prior," he said, a routine part of a crash investigation, searching for "anything that could have affected the pilot's ability to safely operate that aircraft (such as) sleep, rest cycle."

Also, the pilot's license will be considered, along with hours of experience, recent flying experience, medical certification and medical records.

The aircraft will be examined along with its maintenance records, Knudson said. "Was there sufficient fuel?" he said, posing another area the NTSB would consider. The fact there was no post-crash fire was "helpful," he said, as no instrumentation was destroyed.


Original article can be found here:  http://www.oregonlive.com

Investigators are still searching for the cause of a plane crash that killed four people Friday morning in a farmer's field off of Peoria Road about one mile outside of Harrisburg.

The field, owned by Leon Kropf, is located about 10 miles north of the Eugene Airport and sits directly under the final approach for pilots landing at the airport.

The Piper PA-46-310P Malibu crashed at 11:02 a.m. A 911 call to the Linn County Sheriff's Office alerted deputies, as well as the Harrisburg Fire Department. Both agencies responded.

According to Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley, employees at Knife River Corp., about two miles away, called 911 after the noise of the engine drew their eyes skyward, where they noticed the plane flying north at about 600 feet. One employee said he watched the plane go down.

"It just kind of twisted a little bit and then it went in," Riley said.

Riley also said the witnesses did not observe the plane struggling to fly. But the crash happened on a day when southerly winds in the valley near the airport were gusting to 21 and 30 mph.  

"It hit the ground hard about 30 yards from where it came to rest," he said.

According to the aviation tracking service FlightAware, the plane, bearing the tail number N123SB, had taken off from Van Nuys airport in California at 7:22 a.m., bound for Eugene. The log last shows the aircraft traveling at 58 knots at about 1,800 feet at 10:50 a.m. 

Riley said investigators with the National Transportation Safety Bureau and the Federal Aviation Administration began their investigation Friday evening, when they removed the bodies and searched for next of kin. The names and residences of the victims were not released on Friday.


Story, video and photo gallery:   http://democratherald.com

HARRISBURG — Four people were killed on Friday in a plane crash north of Harrisburg, Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley said.

Harrisburg firefighters and Linn County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash that occurred in a field near Cartney County Park, about a mile north of Harrisburg, around 11 a.m. Friday.

The plane crashed about 10 miles north of the Eugene Airport during a time when gusty winds were prevalent in the area.

At 10:54 a.m. Friday, wind speeds near the Eugene Airport had reached about 21 miles per hour with 30 mph gusts, according to the National Weather Service.

The Eugene Airport control tower first reported that a small plane approaching the airport had crashed north of the airport at about 10:50 a.m.

Eugene Airport spokesman Casey Boatman said the plane was initially reported as a Piper Malibu. A Piper Malibu is a single-engine plane that can carry up to six people.

Linn County sheriff’s deputies are on the scene investigating the crash and are being assisted by the Harrisburg Fire Department, Riley said. Motorists in the area have been asked to find alternate routes.

Riley said 911 received a call from someone who reported either seeing the plane heading to the ground or having already crashed.

He estimated the plane struck the ground about 30 yards from where it came to rest.

Riley said he did not know where the plane came from or where it was headed.

Authorities are investigating if the cause of the crash was weather-related or mechanical, he said.

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were on the way to the scene.

Story, video and photo gallery:   http://registerguard.com





HARRISBURG, Ore. - Four people died in a small plane crash in a field off Peoria Road north of Harrisburg on Friday, the Linn County Sheriff's Office said.

The crash happened around 11:02 a.m., the sheriff's office said.

"We have discovered a small single engine plane that has crashed," Sheriff Bruce Riley said at the scene. "We can confirm that there are 4 deceased in the wreckage. We have secured the scene, we've notified FAA and NTSB, and they are en route to conduct their investigation."

There is no word yet on where the plane was coming from nor where the plane was headed. 

Investigators will use the plane's registration number to determine who owned the plane, as well as its flight plan, crew and passengers.

"At this point, we do not know what the cause of the crash is, whether it is weather related or mechanical difficulties," Sheriff Riley. "It's too early to tell that at this point." 

The plane crashed in a field off Peoria Road about a mile north of Harrisburg, the sheriff said.

Sheriff's deputies and firefighters are on scene. Motorists are asked to avoid the area.

Story, video and photo gallery:  http://kval.com

Four people died after a plane crashed in a field off of Peoria Road about one mile outside the city of Harrisburg on Friday morning, according to a Linn County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The crash happened at about 11:02 a.m., and deputies and the Harrisburg Fire Department responded to the scene.

Sheriff Bruce Riley asked motorists to find an alternate route to travel around the area.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph were reported throughout the Willamette Valley floor on Friday morning, and Marys Peak had a gust of 91 mph at about 9:10 a.m. 

Story, video and photo gallery: http://www.gazettetimes.com