Fatal Plane Crash in Estacada Claims Two

Rescue personnel on the scene had to contend with a serious crash scene and the victims had to be extricated from within the fuselage.

(ESTACADA, Ore.) - Two people died Tuesday when a Cessna 206 airplane crashed at 30751 SE Lawrence Road in Estacada‏ around 7:30 PM. Investigators with the Clackamas Sheriff's Office say their communications center received information from a concerned citizen that a small aircraft had flown over his home with no lights on and moments later he heard a series of crashing sounds believed to have been the plane hitting trees or the ground.

Sheriff's Office Spokesman Det. Jim Strovink says that less than 5-minutes later, an additional emergency call was received by CCOM reporting the pilot of this small plane was experiencing electrical problems and all his equipment on the plane was inoperable.

"It is believed the pilot of this plane in distress had called a friend on the ground from his cell phone to report the problems encountered onboard the aircraft," Strovink said.

By this time Clackamas Sheriff's Office patrol personnel and firefighters from Estacada Fire responded to the area to begin searching for this suspected downed small engine aircraft.

Strovink says that by 7:50 PM, dense smoke was observed wafting around a large stand of trees at the rural address of 30751 SE Lawrence Road, in Estacada.

"Rescue personnel followed this smoke signal to the location of the downed craft and reported observing debris from the crash scattered for some distance around the crash site," he said.

Rescue personnel on the scene had to contend with a serious crash scene and the victims had to be extricated from within the fuselage, according to Strovink.

"Sadly, this Clackamas County Sheriff's supervisor indicates there are two confirmed deceased male occupants located onboard this crashed plane."

The pilot has been identified as 54-year old Mark Steven Greenup of Estacada. Mr. Greenup is believed to have been piloting this plane at the time of the crash. According to the Federal Aviation Administration documents, this 1964 Cessna P206 is registered to Mark Steven Greenup, of Estacada.

The other person in the Cessna was 50-year old George Joseph Smetana, also of Estacada. Mr. Smetana is identified as the passenger in this plane at the time of this crash.

A Clackamas County Sheriff's Office supervisor on the scene of this downed aircraft states Federal Aviation Administration personnel were alerted to further pursue this fatal aircraft crash investigation.