On Saturday, August 31, a light aircraft crashed into a townhouse in Troutdale, Oregon, approximately 11 miles east of Portland, Oregon. The plane crash resulted in the death of both passengers on the small airplane as well as one person in the house who was killed. The crash resulted in a fire in the townhouse, which spread to several surrounding units. The aircraft also hit a set of power lines prior to hitting the house, which resulted in approximately 9,000 people losing power to their homes.
Light aircraft plane crash
On Saturday, a light aircraft, a twin-engine Cessna 421C, was flying above Fairview, Oregon. However, at approximately 10:20 local time, the pilot reported that the aircraft was suffering from some control issues. The aircraft then attempted to land at the nearby Troutdale Airport (TTD), specifically on runway 7. However, the aircraft was unable to make it to the runway, and it went down about 1.3 miles from the airport. The aircraft first hit power lines before crashing into a set of townhomes. This caused a large debris path, as some of the aircraft broke apart before hitting the house.
The crash also resulted in a fire that spread to a row of townhouses in Fairview, and the crash also knocked out power to over 9,000 people in the area. Portland General Electric confirmed that all residents had their power restored by 15:00 local time.
There was one passenger, in addition to the pilot, in the Cessna 421C at the time of the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Both passengers were unfortunately confirmed dead, according to Gresham fire officials. Another person who was in one of the townhouses was confirmed dead, per KGW. Gresham Fire Department officials also reported several other injuries at the scene, but it was unconfirmed how serious. The Gresham Fire Department responded to the scene of the accident, along with The Port of Portland, Portland Fire and Rescue, and Clackamas Fire Department.
About the aircraft
The Cessna 421C is a twin-engined propeller plane. The aircraft that crashed was registered as N421GP and was first built in 1977. The owner of the aircraft was Circle Capital Industries, which is based in Dover, Delaware. Cessna produced the powerful twin-engine aircraft from 1967 through 1985. Nearly 2,000 were manufactured by the Wichita, Kansas-based company during its production run.
Photo: Austin Deppe | Shutterstock
The Cessna 421 was developed from the Cessna 411 but included several upgrades, such as a pressurized cabin. Cessna developed the aircraft in the 1960s, and the first prototype conducted its maiden flight in 1965. It was an instant hit, as it sold over 200 aircraft in the year it was introduced, 1967. The Cessna 421 has the following specifications:
|
Maximum capacity |
Six passengers |
|---|---|
|
Length |
36 feet five inches |
|
Height |
11 feet six inches |
|
Wingspan |
41 feet two inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
7,450 pounds |
|
Range |
1,487 nautical miles (1,711 miles) |
|
Maximum speed |
256 knots (295 miles per hour) |