HILLSBORO, Ore. \u2014 Officials confirmed one person was killed when a small two-seater plane crashed into a field near the Twin Oaks Airpark in Hillsboro, Oregon on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
According to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, witnesses said the plane crashed into a grassy field during takeoff.<\/p>\n
According to the the National Transportation Safety Board, the airplane was an experimental Lancair 235.<\/p>\n
There were no other reports of injuries or deaths.<\/p>\n
The crash sparked a grass fire that then spread to a nearby field.<\/p>\n
Firefighters sent to the scene reported seeing a large column of black smoke rising into the air in the distance, according to TVF&R. When crews arrived at the crash site, the fire was beginning to diminish. They quickly put out the remaining pockets of fire and found the plane’s only occupant dead.<\/p>\n
Lt. Marcus Koss, with TVF&R, said the challenges for first responders in this crash is comparable to responding to a car crash.<\/p>\n
“This is very similar to a car crash in terms of the type of materials that are involved,” Koss said. “Typically, there’s a little more heat involved, because it is a highly flammable fuel, and of course our biggest concern is around the spread, especially as we move into these summer months. Firefighters were able to make a quick response and contain it to just the aircraft.”<\/p>\n