Mystery over stolen plane takes shape in Jefferson County
Aug 19, 2020, 12:37 PM | Updated: Aug 20, 2020, 6:05 am
A plane was stolen near Port Townsend Tuesday evening. (Jefferson County International Airport)
(Jefferson County International Airport)
On the northwest Washington coast Wednesday morning, a mystery involving a stolen plane, a crash near La Push, and an injured man inside the cockpit has begun to take shape.
Authorities believe it’s possible the plane could be a Cessna stolen from the Jefferson County International Airport near Port Townsend on Tuesday night. The GPS signal from the Cessna was lost midair roughly 20 miles north of Hoquiam.
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Around 10:30 p.m., a witness reported seeing a plane crash near La Push, but authorities did not find anything upon further investigation. A crashed plane in that same area was later found Wednesday morning by a U.S. Navy helicopter, roughly 100 miles away from the Jefferson County Airport. An injured man was found inside the cockpit. He was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
Detective Sergeant Brett Anglin with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the man is expected to live and will be transitioned to the ICU.
It remains unclear whether that plane is the same one that was stolen near Port Townsend on Tuesday, or if the injured man was the same person who reportedly stole the Cessna from the Jefferson County Airport. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office authorities have been unable to reach the crash site as of early Wednesday afternoon, as it’s situated in a dense forest area.
The owner of the Cessna reported being approached by a “suspicious male who asked to rent his plane,” according to Anglin. The man couldn’t produce a pilot’s license when prompted, and was described by the owner as acting “weird.”
The motive for stealing the plane remains unclear at this time.
KIRO Radio staff contributed to this report.
