A single-engine plane that reportedly left from the Bay Area, the occupants of which may have been bound for eclipse-watching in Oregon, crashed Saturday afternoon near the Madras Municipal Airport in Jefferson County. The pilot and one passenger were killed, as the Chronicle reports.
The plane, a homebuilt Wheeler Express, left from San Carlos Airport and crashed under unknown circumstances at 1:50 p.m. Saturday in Willow Creek Canyon, as it was trying to land at the central Oregon airport.
As the Register Guard explains:
A large plume of smoke from a small fire that was started from the crash could be seen from fields just outside the airport, where thousands of people were expected to gather for Monday’s solar eclipse.Closer to the crash on Northwest Burch Lane, pieces of a white plane were seen on one side of Willow Creek Canyon, a steep and seemingly rocky terrain with vegetation sprinkled throughout the area.
The wings of the plane looked as if they had melted into the side of the canyon. About 4 p.m., white smoke was seen rising from the crash site as fire crews worked to mop up remaining hot spots.
The two victims in the crash have not yet been identified, but an employee at the San Carlos Airport confirmed that the plane was based there.
The video below shows the plane crash site, via drone.