PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A small plane believed to be carrying two people crashed into a row of townhouses Saturday morning in a neighborhood east of Portland, setting the homes ablaze and leaving at least one resident unaccounted for, authorities said.
According to the Port of Portland, the crash happened around 10:20 a.m. when the plane went down near the Troutdale airport. he Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a twin-engine Cessna 421C
Officials said that on the way down, the plane hit a power pole before crashing into a townhome building.
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The downed power pole started a small brush fire in a nearby area, but the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said that it was in a marshy area and easily taken care of.
Due to the initial impact before the crash into the townhomes, officials said that there is a large debris field in the area.
Gresham Fire said that two people were on board the plane at the time of the crash and there is one person who lived in the townhomes that is still unaccounted for.
Fire Chief Scott Lewis said the first call about the fire came from staff at the Troutdale Airport’s control tower, who saw a thick plume of smoke rising in the air. But Lewis said that initial reports indicated “there was no mayday, no call for emergency” from the aircraft itself before it crashed.
Two people were treated for injuries at the scene, one refused transport to the hospital, and the other’s condition is unknown.
Five families were displaced due to the crash so far, authorities said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash. A spokesperson said the agency was still gathering information and didn’t have immediate comment.
According to the Portland General Electric Outage map, thousands of residents in the area are without power.
KOIN 6 News has a crew at the scene and will have more information as it develops.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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