HOOD RIVER, Ore. — A pilot and passenger were killed in a small plane crash at an airport near Hood River on Friday morning, authorities said.
A Hood River County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said the single-engine plane crashed just after 10 a.m. after an unspecified problem during takeoff. Witnesses told deputies they heard the engine cut out, at which point the plane nosed down and turned to the right before crashing at a steep angle.
Rescuers had to use the Jaws of Life tool to free the pilot and passenger from the wreckage. The two people were later pronounced dead at the scene. The pilot was identified as 56-year-old Matthew Titus, of Turlock, California. The passenger was identified as 55-year-old Ben Davidson, of Hood River.
Davidson was remembered as a lover of aviation.
“Ben was one of those guys who embodied aviation. Everything he did came to the aviation community. Everything he did was from the heart," said Davidson's friend, Bryan Heim.
The Ken Jernstedt Airfield is located two miles south of Hood River.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.