Officials have released the identities of the two men who died when their small floatplane crashed into the Columbia River Wednesday afternoon. (image courtesy of our news partner, KNDU-TV NBC Right Now.)
The Two Were Traveling to An Airshow at Priest Lake
They were on their way to the Tanglefoot Seaplane Airshow, and had left Nampa, Idaho early Wednesday morning around 7 AM.
Around 2:30 PM, the plane was seen heading west toward the Cable Bridge, presumably looking to land on the water, when it clipped a powerline, and plunged upside down into the water. The broken line cut off power for over 11,000 Benton PUD customers, and the two were killed. The broken powerline also triggered a brushfire on the Pasco side of the river, near Walters Field and the Pasco Little League Complex on A street.
Not Known If Pilot and Passenger Died on Impact
The Coroner did not say if they died on impact or drowned, the floats on the plane kept it from sinking, but it was upside down for a long time until a large Lampson Crane was used to pull it from the river.
According to KNDU-TV NBC Right Now, and the Coroner, the pilot was 64-year-old Randy J. Peterson, and the passenger was 50-year-old Eric Wayne Houston, both of Sonoma CA.
The National Transportation Safety Board is Leading the Investigation, along with local officials. Earlier reports indicated the plane had no ties to either the Richland or Pasco Airports.
According to AvaitionSafety.net, the aircraft was a Cessna 195, the 1949 production plane was equipped with floats for water landings.
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Gallery Credit: Andrew Lisa