Saturday, August 19, 2017

Aerodynamic Stall / Spin: Wheeler Express, N246TM; fatal accident occurred August 19, 2017 near Madras Municipal Airport (S33), Jefferson County, Oregon

Mark Rich with the plane he built from a kit and flew for decades.



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

Additional Participating Entities:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Hillsboro, Oregon
Teledyne Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama

Location: Madras, OR
Accident Number: WPR17FA185
Date & Time: 08/19/2017, 1352 PDT
Registration: N246TM
Aircraft: Rich Wheeler Express CT
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Aerodynamic stall/spin
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On August 19, 2017, about 1352 Pacific daylight time, a Rich Wheeler Express CT, N246TM, impacted the wall of a canyon while on approach to land at Madras Municipal Airport (S33), Madras, Oregon. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was owned by the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from San Carlos airport (SQL), San Carlos, California, with a final destination of S33.

The pilot was planning to camp at Madras and participate in the Oregon Solarfest, where activities were being held for the viewing of the solar eclipse. The pilot submitted a reservation request and payment to the Madras airport operations on July 22, 2017, indicating that he intended to arrive on August 19 at 1400 and depart on August 21.

A NOTAM was in effect at the time of the accident that provided instructions to pilots regarding arrival procedures they must follow to land at the Madras airport during the Solarfest. A Non−Federal Contract Tower (NFCT) was contracted by the normally non-towered airport to provide air traffic control services to help facilitate the increased traffic.

The NOTAM instructed pilots that all arrivals must be conducted at the time of their assigned reservation and via the routes depicted in the NOTAM unless otherwise instructed by the controllers (see figure 1). When arriving from the south, the NOTAM stated that pilots should perform the "Cove Entry," which required reporting over the Cove Palisades State Park (COVE) and flying north to Lake Simtustus Resort (RESORT), then continuing inbound toward the airport (east) and entering a left downwind for runway 34 (south).

Figure 01: NOTAM Instructional Picture


According to the controller working at the tower at the time of the accident, the accident pilot established contact with the tower over COVE and was instructed to report his position when he was over RESORT. Several minutes later, after other traffic departed, the controller modified the pilot's instructions and told him to proceed to a 3-mile final to runway 34. After a few minutes, the controller requested that the pilot report his position, to which he responded that he was on a 3-mile left base to runway 34. The controller cleared him to land and observed a plume of smoke shortly thereafter.

Witnesses located near the airport, stated that they observed the airplane make a steep left turn with the wings perpendicular to the terrain. The airplane then dove toward the ground in a nose-low, near-vertical descent.


Mark Rich

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 58, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present:No 
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/31/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 612 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificate issued in January 2012 with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He held a third-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical certificate issued in October 2016, with the limitation that he must have glasses available for near vision. On the application for that medical certificate, he reported a total flight time of 612 hours. The pilot's personal flight records were not recovered.



Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Rich
Registration:N246TM 
Model/Series: Wheeler Express CT
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2002
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: 145
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection:  Unknown
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines:  Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: Teledyne Continental Motors
ELT: Installed
Engine Model/Series: IO540-K1G5
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 300 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

The Wheeler Express CT is an experimental, amateur-built airplane that is sold as a kit. The composite construction airplane was a four-place, low-wing, tricycle landing gear monoplane equipped with a 'cruciform' (mid-mounted horizontal stabilizer) tail. The pilot completed the build in 2002 as the original design. The accident airplane, serial number 145, received a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category in August 2002. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-KIG5 engine, serial number L-17422-48A, rated at 235 shaft horsepower.

The maintenance logbooks were not recovered. The airplane was last fueled before departure from San Carlos with the addition of 58.9 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel.

Airplane Design

In 1991, Wheeler Express sent a letter to owners addressing the possibility of deep stalls occurring in the tail; the letter stated that if the builder installs the tail correctly there would not be abnormal stall characteristics.

Wheeler Express was then purchased by Express Design Inc (EDI), who sent a letter in 1995 to builders and owners detailing a report about the design and aerodynamic characteristics of the cruciform tail. In pertinent part, it stated:

At the forward CG, flaps down, approach condition, a larger tail requires much less up elevator to trim. Very small (and therefore heavily loaded) tails may stall on approach and turbulent conditions or upon crossing another airplane's wake (or its own wake in a turn). If the tail stalls in the approach condition, rapid action must be taken to avoid diving straight into the ground…

We believe therefore that because the Express CT can experience uncommitted pitch down motion under certain flight conditions, that certain actions are required by EDI and by Express CT builders and owners specifically… Because certain flight conditions such as turbulent air can cause the uncommitted pitch down without pilot involvement, EDI believes that each owner of an Express CT kit for aircraft should seriously consider updating their kit or airplane with the S-90 tail update available from EDI.

A Wheeler Express performance report, sponsored and funded by the FAA and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), was completed in 1997. The performance report identified that the 'cruciform' tail (mid-mounted horizontal stabilizer), wide tapering fuselage, and highly swept vertical stabilizer combined to produce low yaw stability. In part, it stated:

The tail power seemed to be adequate for most regimes of flight, however, during post stall and high yaw maneuvering the horizontal/elevators seemed to have inadequate effect. This seemed to be caused by blanking of the horizontal tail and elevators by the vertical stabilizer at the highly yawed condition. More testing is definitely in order to study the flow field around the tail in this situation and to develop improved tail effectiveness.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KS33, 2436 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 2055 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 360°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Light and Variable /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: Variable
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.14 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 5°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: San Carlos, CA (SQL)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Madras, OR (S33)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:  PDT
Type of Airspace:

The 1355 weather observation at S33 included: clear sky, 10 miles visibility, temperature 75°F, dew point 41°F, and altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of mercury.

Airport Information

Airport: MADRAS MUNICIPAL (S33)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 2436 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 34
IFR Approach:None 
Runway Length/Width: 5089 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Stop and Go; Straight-in 

Madras Municipal Airport was located at an elevation of 2,436 ft mean sea level and did not have a permanent control tower. The airport was equipped with two asphalt runways, designated 16/34 and 04/22. The active runway at the time of the accident was 16/34, which measured 5,089 ft long and 75 ft wide.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion:None 
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 44.643056, -121.164444 

The accident site was located on the north-facing slope of a canyon comprised of soft dirt and trees. The wreckage was about 1.1 nautical miles from the approach end of runway 34 on a bearing of 025° (see figure 2).

Figure 02: Wreckage Location

The first identified points of contact were freshly-severed tree limbs adjacent to the main wreckage. The tree was located in a slight ravine in the ebb of the canyon wall. The debris field was primarily contained in the area of the main wreckage on a 60-70° slope.

The main wreckage sustained severe thermal damage and comprised the outboard right wing, empennage, engine, and the charred remnants of the fuselage. The cabin was completely consumed by fire.

The inboard right wing was located upslope of the engine and was identified by the shape of the wingtip and a small blue/green shard of material embedded in the navigation light area. The left wing was downslope of the engine toward the ravine. Under the wing were parts of the cockpit area and instrument panel, identified by the seat frames, rudder pedals, and burned remnants of the radios.

The engine came to rest on its left side with the Nos. 2, 4, and 6 cylinders completely imbedded in the dirt (see figure 3). A portion of one propeller blade was visible and the tip had melted. The propeller remained attached to the engine at the crankshaft flange. The spinner was bent around the hub and the bottom blade was broken free from the hub. The empennage was thermally destroyed and only portions of the flight controls were identifiable. The tail section was located in the ravine at the bottom of the debris field (about 15 ft from the engine).

Figure 03: Engine at Accident Site

Examination of the airframe revealed that the control materials constructed of steel were thermally damaged and a majority of the airplane that was composite material or aluminum was consumed by fire.

Pitch control was accomplished by two control columns connected to a mixing assembly, which continued aft via a series of two steel rods and two steel tubes running centerline to the elevators (a total of six rod end bearings were used in the assembly). Four rod end bearings exhibited signs of damage from overload. Two rod end bearings, both of which connected to the same steel bellcrank, exhibited no signs of overload or elongation and were lacking attachment hardware.

The aforementioned two rod ends were shipped to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for analysis. No evidence or markings consistent with the presence of fastening hardware were observed in either bearing bore. Because of the severe thermal damage to the wreckage, it could not be determined if the absence of material was due to it not being fastened at the time of impact or if the material was thermally consumed after impact.

Rotation of the engine was not possible due to binding of various components as a result of impact damage; compression could not be obtained. The cylinder combustion chambers were examined upon removal of the Nos. 1, 3, and 5 cylinders and borescope examination of the remaining cylinders. The combustion chambers remained mechanically undamaged and there was no evidence of foreign object ingestion or detonation. The valves were intact and undamaged. There was no evidence of valve-to-piston-face contact. The gas path and combustion signatures observed at the spark plugs, combustion chambers, and exhaust system components displayed coloration consistent with normal operation.

Ignition system continuity could not be established due to thermal damage. The engine oil sump was crushed upward against the internal engine components.

Examination of the McCauley propeller, model B3D32C417-C, serial number 900150, revealed that all blades sustained thermal damage. Blade 1 was broken free with leading edge polishing, chordwise scratches, and twisting. Blade 2 was loose in the hub with its tip melted away. Blade 3 was bent aft at its tip.

Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A detailed examination report is contained in the public docket for this accident. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Jefferson County Office of the Medical Examiner, Clackamas, Oregon, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was listed as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries.

Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified evidence of putrefaction in the specimens received. 32 (mg/dL, mg/hg) of ethanol was detected in muscle tissue, no ethanol was detected in brain specimens, consistent with postmortem production. No drugs were detected in lung specimens.

Additional Information

A similarly-equipped Wheeler Express was involved in a fatal accident on July 27, 2015 (NTSB case ID CEN15FA321). A review of onboard flight data revealed that the airplane maneuvered into a nose-high attitude while in a steep, right turn. As the airspeed decelerated below stall speed and the turn steepened, the airplane pitched nose down and entered a prolonged, right-turning spin until ground impact.
  
NTSB Identification: WPR17FA185

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 19, 2017 in Madras, OR
Aircraft: Rich Wheeler Express CT, registration: N246TM
Injuries: 1 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 August 19, 2017, about 1355 Pacific daylight time, a Rich Wheeler Express CT, N246TM, impacted the wall of a canyon while on approach to land at the Madras Municipal Airport, Madras, Oregon. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The cross-country personal flight originated from San Carlos, California at an unknown time with a final destination of Madras. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.


The pilot submitted a reservation request and payment to the Madras airport operations on July 22, 2017 indicating that he intended to arrive on August 19, at 1400 and depart on August 21. The pilot was planning to camp at the airport and participate in the Oregon Solarfest, where activities were being held for the viewing of the solar eclipse.


A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was in effect at the time of the accident, which gave instructions to pilots as to the procedures they must follow to land at the Madras airport. A Non-Federal Contract Tower (NFCT) provided air traffic control services at the airport to help facilitate the increased traffic.


The NOTAM instructed pilots that all arrivals into Madras must be conducted at the time of their assigned reservation and via the routes depicted in the NOTAM unless otherwise instructed by the controllers. When arriving from the south, the NOTAM stated that the pilot should perform the "Cove Entry," which consisted of reporting over the Cove Palisades State Park (COVE) and fly north to Lake Simtustus Resort (RESORT), then to continue inbound toward the airport (east) and enter a left downwind for runway 34 (south).


According to the controller working at the tower at the time of the accident, the pilot checked in at COVE and was instructed to report his position when he was over RESORT. Several minutes later, after other traffic departed, the controller modified the pilot's instructions and told him to proceed to a 3-mile final to runway 34. After a few minutes, the controller requested that the pilot report his position to which he responded that he was on a 3-mile left base to runway 34. The controller cleared him to land and observed a plume of smoke shortly thereafter.


Witnesses stated that they observed the airplane turn and dive in a nose-low near-vertical descent toward the ground.


The accident site was located on the north-facing slope of a canyon comprised of soft dirt and trees. The wreckage was about 1.1 nautical miles from the approach end of runway 34 on a bearing of 190 degrees. The first identified points of contact consisted of freshly severed tree limbs adjacent to the main wreckage. The debris field was primarily contained in the area of the main wreckage on a 60-70 degree slope at an elevation of about 2,350 feet msl. The area of contact was in a slight ravine in the ebb of the canyon wall. The main wreckage had been subjected to severe thermal damage and consisted of the outboard right wing, empennage, engine, and the mostly ashen remains of the fuselage. The cabin was completely consumed by fire. The wreckage was recovered for further examination.



The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on its investigation into a plane crash that killed the pilot, Mark Rich of Menlo Park, and destroyed a home-built plane he was flying from San Carlos to Oregon for the solar eclipse in August.

The plane Mr. Rich was flying, a single-engine Wheeler Express, crashed into a canyon wall near the Madras Municipal Airport in Madras, Oregon, around 1:55 p.m. on Aug. 19.

He was flying in for the Oregon Solarfest and was planning to camp at the airport.

Mr. Rich followed instructions on approach and the air traffic controller cleared him to land. Shortly after that, the controller saw a column of smoke nearby, according to the report.

Witnesses told investigators that the plane had turned and gone in to a nose-dive before crashing into a slight ravine in the canyon wall, roughly 1.1 nautical miles from the runway, where the terrain was made up primarily of soft dirt and trees, the report found.

Freshly severed tree limbs were found near the crash site.

The cabin of the plane was completely burned by fire. The wreckage had severe thermal damage on the right wing, engine and the remains of the fuselage. Investigators recovered it for further examination.

NTSB officials stressed that this is a preliminary report, and any errors in it will be corrected in the final version, which has not yet been released. 

https://www.almanacnews.com


Menlo Park resident Mark Rich, 58, the husband of former Menlo Park City School District board member Laura Rich, was killed in a small-plane crash on Saturday, Aug. 19, friends of the family have confirmed. 

Mr. Rich's single-engine, home-built Wheeler Express crashed under unknown circumstances near the Madras, Oregon, airport around 1:50 p.m., according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

Mr. Rich, a vice president of Connected Fleet for Airbus and a Silicon Valley veteran who had worked at Google, DARPA and Atheros, had been on his way to watch the Aug. 21 solar eclipse.​

Menlo Park City School District board member Terry Thygesen, who had served on the board with Laura Rich, said Mr. Rich had built the plane himself decades ago. "He was a very experienced pilot and he had flown that plane a lot over the years," she said.

"Mark Rich was a truly amazing person and the world has lost someone very special in this tragic accident," Ms. Thygesen said. "Mark possessed a singularly brilliant mind," she said.

Mark and Laura Rich met when she was an undergraduate at Stanford University and he was a graduate student. They married soon after her graduation, 33 years ago.

"He was a truly loving husband to his wife, Laura Linkletter Rich ... and he was a devoted father to their two children," Ms. Thygesen said. Son Tyler Rich lives in Austin, Texas, and daughter Michelle Rich lives in New York City. Both are graduates of Menlo Park schools and Menlo-Atherton High School.

Mr. Rich "was a truly amazing person," Ms. Thygesen said. "He was an engineers' engineer," she said. "Not only was he a super-smart technical person and a very creative and inventive technical person, but he was a Renaissance man and he knew a lot about a lot of things," she said.

"He was a very smart, very interesting guy. He was very quiet ... but once you got to know him you realize he was really smart about a lot of things and had a really great sense of humor."

A statement posted by Jefferson County officials in Oregon says the plane was fully engulfed in flames when first responders arrived on the scene, near the top of Willow Creek canyon about a mile from the Madras Airport. A small fire was started by the crash but quickly extinguished. The plane was completely destroyed, the statement says.

County officials had initially stated there were two people aboard the plane, but their investigation determined Mr. Rich was alone.

Family friends say Mr. Rich's daughter had initially planned to go on the trip, but had not been able to go.

The Oregon State Police, Jefferson County Fire Department, BNSF Railroad and EMS personnel, as well as local volunteers, assisted at the crash site.

An investigation into the cause of the crash by Federal Aviation Administration is ongoing.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that memorial donations be made to the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).

Original article ➤  https://almanacnews.com



A pilot killed when his small plane crashed in an Oregon canyon ahead of Monday’s solar eclipse was identified as a Menlo Park man.

Mark James Rich, 58, died Saturday after his home-built Wheel Marker Express went down a mile from Madras Municipal Airport, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department officials confirmed Tuesday.

“The Rich family has asked me to convey their request for privacy at this time,” Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said in a statement. “I appreciate the sensitivity of the media in particular to make every effort to show respect for the family’s needs and allow them to mourn in private.”

First responders found the plane engulfed in flames near the top of Willow Creek Canyon, about 120 miles southeast of Portland. 

Firefighters quickly doused a small blaze caused by the incident.

Thousands had flocked to the state over the weekend to watch the solar eclipse, although it was unclear whether Rich had traveled to Oregon to watch the celestial show.

Officials initially reported that two people had died in the crash, but they later determined that only Rich had been aboard the aircraft. 

Federal Aviation Administration records listed the single engine plane as amateur built. 

The aircraft held a valid certificate issued in 2002.


FAA and National Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating what led to the crash.

Original article ➤  http://www.sfgate.com



Only one person was killed in a plane crash Saturday near the Madras Municipal Airport, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday morning. 

Investigators initially believed and told reporters that a pilot and a passenger were on board the small single-engine plane that flew into Oregon from the San Francisco Bay Area. But after further investigation overnight and making contact with owners of the plane, Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said the department is now “certain” there was only one individual on board.

“A reservation tied to the plane for two persons to stay in the local area originally suggested that the pilot and a passenger were on board,” Adkins said, in a prepared statement. “After talking to a family member who had originally planned to make the trip, but changed plans, we can confirm there was just one person on the flight,” he added.

Investigators have not yet identified the pilot or released any information about the potential cause of the crash. Many private aircraft are flying into Oregon this weekend for Monday’s solar eclipse.

The crash occurred at 1:50 p.m. in Willow Creek Canyon, one mile south of the Madras airport.

The aircraft was destroyed and engulfed by fire, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

Original article ➤ http://registerguard.com



MADRAS — A pilot was killed when a small plane crashed into Willow Creek Canyon on Saturday about 1 mile south of the Madras Municipal Airport. The identity of the pilot has not been released.

The plane, a single-engine, homebuilt Wheeler Express, crashed at about 1:50 p.m. as it was arriving at the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A San Francisco news station reported the pilot, a man from Menlo Park, California, left San Carlos Airport at about 11 a.m. for Madras.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said the plane was traveling north toward the airport attempting to make its final approach when it crashed.

“We verified with witnesses that the plane rolled over and took a nosedive into the canyon,” Adkins said.

The crash started a fire in the canyon that was later mopped up. Only pieces of the plane were left in the canyon Saturday afternoon, as emergency crews removed the body. Crews reached the plane from the south side of the canyon and found it engulfed in flames near the top of the canyon. A local farmer was trying to put out the fire when they arrived.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Oregon state troopers and Jefferson County Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene.

Michele Quinn, 48, a resident of NW Birch Lane, was in her house when she heard the plane fly overhead, a sound she’s familiar with because she lives near the airport.

What she heard next was just as unmistakable.

“As soon as I heard it, I knew exactly what had happened,” said Quinn, who works for the Madras Public Works Department.

She rushed out to her backyard, which faces the airport, and saw columns of black smoke rising from the canyon.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, which will be on site Sunday, are investigating the crash.

The Madras airport was busy Saturday with hundreds of planes arriving for Monday’s total solar eclipse.

This is the fourth fatal plane crash in Madras since 2005, according to an NTSB database.

Almost a year ago, the pilot of a biplane crashed and died at the Airshow of The Cascades at the Madras airport. The pilot, Marcus Bruce Paine, 61, was flying a Boeing Stearman on Aug. 27 when he crashed. According to one spectator, the plane was doing a very low-altitude loop with the smoke trail, and about three-quarters of the way around the loop, Paine tried to pull up but the bottom of the plane still hit the ground.

The air show this year is scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

Original article ➤ http://www.bendbulletin.com




The pilot of a small passenger plane that crashed near Madras on Saturday was the only fatality, investigators said Sunday.

Officials initially said that two people died in the crash near Willow Creek Canyon near the Madras Airport. The plane, engulfed in flames, was completely destroyed.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said that a family member had initially planned to be on the plan but changed plans.

The plane crashed about 2 p.m. Saturday near the top of the canyon about 1 mile south of the Madras Airport runway. 

A fire is now burning in Willow Creek Canyon near the end of Bear Drive, Adkin said. That's about one mile south of the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. 

Here at the Madras Municipal Airport (S33) they are expecting a lot of planes to fly in today. The Federal Aviation Administration has set up a temporary tower.



MADRAS, Ore. — The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says a small plane crashed near the Madras airport in the Willow Creek Canyon area, killing two people Saturday afternoon.

Officials confirm the pilot and passenger did not survive the crash, and that they were the only two aboard the plane. Willow Creek Canyon is a very steep and remote area.

Emergency responders reached the plane from the south side of the canyon and found it fully engulfed in flames.

Officials say a small fire resulting from the crash is no longer a threat to the area and is being mopped up.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Fire, Jefferson County EMS, Oregon State Police and Madras Police responded to the scene.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to travel to Madras this weekend to view Monday's solar eclipse, and a large viewing area has been set up at the Madras airport near where the crash occurred.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://katu.com



MADRAS, Ore. (KOIN) — An airplane with 2 people on board crashed near the Madras airport just before 2 p.m. Saturday.

The small airplane did not make it to the airport and crashed about a mile away, down in the Willow Creek Canyon Area. The impact sparked a small brush fire, which Jefferson County Fire crews extinguished quickly.

Both people who were on board died in the crash.

“I heard the plane coming in and I heard it sputtering some — which is not uncommon, we hear it quite often, so I didn’t really think much about it — and then a few seconds later I heard the impact,” Madras resident Michele Quinn told KOIN 6 News.

Visitors who were golfing nearby saw the plane take sharp turn before it crashed into the canyon.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was a single-engine, homebuilt Wheeler Express that was on its way to the Madras airport when it crashed.

Investigators are working to determine why the plane crashed.

More than 200,000 people are expected in Madras for the solar eclipse on August 21. 

Original article can be found here ➤  http://koin.com






The pilot of a small airplane and a passenger died in a crash near Madras Municipal Airport early Saturday afternoon, Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said.

The plane crashed just before 2 p.m. in a steep and remote area about one mile south of the airport's runway, said Lisa Goodman, a spokeswoman for the Central Oregon Joint Information Center.

When first-responders arrived at the scene of the crash, near the top of Willow Creek Canyon, the plane was engulfed in flames, with a local farmer trying to put out the fire, Goodman said.

As of 3:30 p.m., officials were not releasing any information about the plane or the pilot. Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were on their way to the scene. No information was yet available about the cause of the crash.

Several people saw the crash, and investigators are interviewing them.

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





A plane has crashed roughly one mile south of the Madras airport, killing both individuals on board and igniting a brush fire, according to officials.

The plane crashed in Willow Creek Canyon near Bear Drive on Saturday just before 2 p.m., according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. 

A local farmer was on scene and fighting a small fire when emergency responders arrived at the scene, according to Julianne Repman, a spokesperson for the Central Oregon Joint Information Center.

The fire has been extinguished and officials said it is no longer a threat to the area.  

Officials confirmed the pilot and one passenger died in the crash. 

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified of the crash. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is maintaining control of the scene at this time.

Repman could not confirm what type of plane crashed, but said it was one of hundreds of planes that flew into the region for the total solar eclipse.

Some 400 planes were planning to land at Madras Airport for the event, according to Lysa Vattimo, the lead eclipse planner for Madras. The airport usually does not have a control tower, but a mobile one was brought in for the eclipse.

Kurt Chapman, spokesman for the Joint Information Center for the Eclipse at Deschutes County, said he did not know the travel plans or direction of the plane.

A year ago, the pilot of a vintage biplane died at Madras airport while he was performing a low altitude loop as part of the Airshow of the Cascades. Pilot Marcus Bruce Paine, 61, crashed his Boeing Stearman on Aug. 27.

This year's air show is Aug. 25 and 26.

Original article ➤ http://www.statesmanjournal.com

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