A small plane crashed into power lines in Oregon, USA, on Saturday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and two passengers. As reported by ABC News, the authorities identified the deceased as the 35-year-old pilot, Mohamed Hussein Al-Moussawi, from the city of Independence, and passengers Mohamed Bashir Safdari, 35, also from Independence, and Ali Jan Ferdowsi, 29, from Salem, Oregon.
The police stated in an updated report on Sunday that the plane was flying in thick fog from McMinnville, Oregon, to Independence Airport when it collided with power lines. This collision caused a small fire and a power outage in the area, which is approximately 19.3 kilometers southwest of Salem.
The police noted that the owner of the aircraft was not on board and there were no other passengers. The director of Independence Airport expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the families of the deceased, saying, “My heart is in pain, and our entire administration mourns with you during this time.”
The Statesman Journal reported that Pacific Power stated that at least 375 customers in Independence experienced a power outage following the Saturday incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash with the assistance of the police. The probable cause of the accident has not yet been announced.
In recent times, there have been several small plane crashes with tragic outcomes in various parts of the world, highlighting the risks associated with aviation, particularly in small aircraft operations.
Similar accident occurred this week in North Carolina, where a small airplane crashed into Interstate 26 near Asheville Regional Airport. The single-engine Diamond DA-40 crashed around 8:15 p.m. local time. While the status of the two passengers on the plane has not been disclosed, the crash led to the aircraft catching fire on the highway, and several people were reportedly hospitalized following the incident.
