Plane Crashes on Willamette River Island South of Dayton

Oregon State Police say the man walked away from the crash uninjured, now he needs to figure out a way to get it off the island.

The pilot says he was trying to do a touch and go on a gravel bar by a river island when the plane's wing tip caught the ground and it nosed in.

(DAYTON, Ore.) - Police say a 46-year old man was not injured Thursday afternoon when he attempted to land his small airplane on a Willamette River island and crashed about 7 miles south of Dayton. The man's name and photographs will be released later this evening.

OSP Lt. Gregg Hastings says that around 1:30 PM Thursday afternoon, the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police received a report of a plane crash at the above location.

Bryan G. Lee - Fire Chief with the St. Paul Fire District, says that at the time of the crash, an eye witness notice a small 1950's piper aircraft make what looked to be an emergency landing on a gravel bar in the middle of the Willamette river.

That witness, Dave Smith contacted his brother, Ben Smith - the Assistant Fire Chief of the St Paul Fire District, and fire crews responded.

Lee says that when crews were able to get to the pilot he had already extricated himself for the aircraft and denied and medical assistance. According to the water rescue team members who had been called as mutual aid, the pilot stated he had made one touch and go on the island. On his second attempt a wing tip caught the ground and the plane ended up coming to rest on its nose.

An OSP Fish & Wildlife trooper on boat patrol in the Willamette River was near the location and responded.

Hastings says that at this time, the pilot is working out details on how to remove the plane from the area.

Source: Oregon State Police and the St. Paul Fire District