Michael Busher, Jacqueline Whitford Obituary, Death – On Friday, Oregon authorities identified the three victims of a small plane crash near Portland. The victims include pilot Michael Busher, 73; flight instructor Jacqueline Whitford, 79; and Barbara MacDonald, 75, a resident of Fairview who was killed when the plane crashed into her home.
The crash occurred last Saturday morning in Fairview, a city located about 30 minutes east of downtown Portland. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Cessna 421C was on a maintenance test flight when it reported “controllability” issues shortly after taking off from Troutdale Airport. The aircraft crashed approximately five minutes after departure.
The plane impacted a row of eight townhomes, destroying three of them. Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis stated that the second unit in the row was the main point of impact. Barbara MacDonald lived in one of the affected townhomes.
Upon arriving at the scene, Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell reported that her deputies found several townhomes on fire. They went door to door to evacuate residents and used garden hoses to control the flames until firefighters could take over.
The crash also knocked down a pole and power lines, which led to a brush fire in a nearby field. The plane was fragmented upon impact with the residential area.
Troutdale Airport, managed by the Port of Portland, is described on its website as a “flight training and recreational airport.”
The NTSB is overseeing the investigation into the crash, which is expected to take up to a year and a half to complete.