HILLSBORO, Ore. (Jun. 13, 2036) — One person was killed after a small aircraft crashed and caught fire during takeoff at Twin Oaks Airpark in Washington County on Saturday, authorities said.
Emergency crews from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to the scene alongside Hillsboro Fire & Rescue and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office following reports of an aircraft crash near the airpark.
According to officials, witnesses reported that the small aircraft crashed into a grassy field during takeoff. Callers to emergency dispatch said the plane was on fire and that the flames threatened to spread into surrounding vegetation.
Hillsboro Fire & Rescue crews were the first to arrive and encountered a large column of dense black smoke visible from a distance. As firefighters reached the wreckage, officials said the fire had begun to diminish, producing brown smoke with several pockets of active flames still burning within the debris.
Firefighters launched an aggressive attack on the fire and were able to quickly extinguish the remaining flames before they spread beyond the aircraft and into nearby vegetation.
The aircraft’s sole occupant was located in the wreckage and was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the victim has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating the investigation into the crash in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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