An Idaho-bound plane crashed in a remote area about 6 miles southeast of Madras, Oregon, on Sunday night, killing everyone on board, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
It is unclear how many people were on the plane. Investigators will not release the victims’ names until they have been identified and their families contacted, the sheriff’s office said.
Sheriff’s deputies and Jefferson County firefighters and paramedics responded after someone called 911 at 7:40 p.m. to report the crash, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Monday.
Investigators learned the plane had departed from Aurora, Oregon and crashed on its way to Idaho, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
This is the deadliest plane crash in Oregon since Dec. 16, when three men — a pilot and two passengers — died after their plan crashed into power lines in Independence, officials said.
Another small airplane crashed into a house in Newberg on Oct. 2, killing a 22-year-old pilot instructor and a 20-year-old student pilot and seriously injuring their 20-year-old passenger, officials said.
