Sheriff's Office, National Guard respond to non-injury plane crash southeast of Molalla

Please reference CCSO Case # 24-025511

Photos: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

At 2:27 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a reported plane crash southeast of Molalla within Clackamas County.

The plane was a rented single-engine Cessna with two occupants, a licensed pilot and passenger. The pilot told deputies they were attempting to fly from Washington County to Bend when the Cessna experienced engine trouble resulting in full engine failure.

The pilot spotted a gravel road near Trout Creek and the North Fork of the Molalla River, and was able to set the plane down within minutes of the mechanical issue.

While the plane suffered some damage, the pilot and passenger were reportedly uninjured.

They were also able to get a quick airlift from the crash scene.

As detailed in @oregonnationalguard's Instagram post on the incident, an Oregon Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter happened to be on a scheduled training mission over Clackamas County at the time of the crash. After hearing the distress call on the radio, they quickly located the aircraft, landed at the crash scene, and transported the pilot and passenger to Mulino Airport.

Deputies responded to the airport and interviewed the pilot and passenger, while additional deputies responded to the crash scene to secure and document the scene.

The rental company is arranging retrieval of the Cessna.

The case was referred to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for investigation.

Photos of the crash scene and of the Black Hawk at Mulino Airport are linked above.

[END]

Sergeant Ross Clemson, Public Information Officer
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
Communications Unit

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