Pilot and 2 passengers identified as victims of small plane crash in Oregon

INDEPENDENCE, Ore. (AP) — A small plane crashed into power lines in Oregon late Saturday afternoon and killed the pilot and two passengers, police said.

Polk County emergency services received the report of the single engine plane crash in Independence around 4:55 p.m., the Independence Police Department said in a statement posted Saturday on social media.

Authorities on Sunday identified the deceased as the pilot, 35-year-old Mohammad Hussain Musawi of Independence, and two passengers, Mohammad Bashir Safdari, 35, of Independence and Ali Jan Ferdawsi, 29, of Salem, Oregon.

The airplane’s owner was not on board and there were no other passengers, police said.

“My heart goes out to the deceased and the pain their families are experiencing,” Independence Chief Robert Mason said in a statement. “Our entire department mourns with you during this time.”

The plane was traveling in heavy fog from McMinnville, Oregon, to the Independence State Airport, police said in an updated statement on Sunday.

Police said the initial investigation found the collision with electrical power lines resulted in a small brush fire and a power outage in the community about 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) southwest of Salem.

Pacific Power said at least 375 customers in Independence lost power on Saturday after the crash, the Statesman Journal reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating with assistance from the Independence police.

A possible cause was not immediately released.