Parkdale, United States: Two people were killed after a small plane crashed near Parkdale in Oregon’s Hood River County on Monday, August 31, 2026 with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set to investigate the accident.
The crash was reported at about 11:31 a.m. local time after the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office received information about a possible aircraft accident near Old Parkdale Road. As additional callers reported different possible locations in the upper Hood River Valley, deputies began searching the area. The sheriff’s office aircraft and personnel from the Parkdale Fire Department also assisted in the search.
At approximately 12:32 p.m., authorities located the wreckage on private property near an orchard along Trout Creek Ridge Road. The two people aboard the aircraft were found dead at the scene. The victims were identified as James Crain and Scott Perry, both residents of Hood River.
The aircraft was identified by the NTSB as a Mooney M20C, a small, four-seat, single-engine aircraft. The available reports do not provide a confirmed account of what happened immediately before the aircraft went down. There has been no official finding indicating whether the crash was caused by a mechanical problem, weather, pilot action or another factor. The NTSB investigation is expected to examine the circumstances of the accident and determine its probable cause.
Following the discovery of the wreckage, the aircraft was secured at the scene pending the arrival of investigators from the FAA and NTSB. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said additional information would be released as it becomes available.
The initial response involved Hood River County sheriff’s deputies, the sheriff’s office aircraft and Parkdale Fire Department personnel, who searched the upper Hood River Valley after receiving reports of the crash. The search ultimately led authorities to the wreckage near the orchard along Trout Creek Ridge Road.
The NTSB subsequently confirmed that it was investigating the crash involving the Mooney M20C. Federal investigators are expected to examine the aircraft wreckage, available flight information and other evidence as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident.
No information reviewed so far indicates that the aircraft was operated by a commercial airline or charter company. The available reports describe it as a small single-engine aircraft. The investigation remains ongoing, and the cause of the fatal crash has not been determined.
