Military plane crashes in northeast Oregon
02:45 PM MST on Friday, March 3, 2006
By kgw.com and AP Staff
PENDLETON, Ore. -- An EA-6 military surveillance plane from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station has crashed in northeast Oregon, but authorities said no one was seriously injured.
Federal Avaiation Administration officials said the plane that went down was an EA-6 Prowler, similiar to the one shown in this military photo.
Witnesses saw all four aircrew ejected and their parachutes deployed, according to Umatilla County emergency services, and the military confirmed that there were no fatalities.
Authorities said four people were transported to St. Anthony's Hospital in Pendleton for treatment of unknown injuries.
The aircraft, attached to the Electronic Attack Squadron 135, was flying a routine training mission when the mishap occurred, according to Kim Martin, a spokeswoman for NAS Whidbey Island.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, she said.
"Something caused the plane to go down, we don’t know what it is," said Pete Wells, public information officer for Umatilla County.
A second EA-6 Prowler plane was flying in the area, but was not involved in the incident, he said.
Cheryl Seigal, of the Umatilla County Emergency Management, said the crash site had been sealed off and a no-fly zone requested at 3500 feet.
The emergency operations center in Pendleton also had been activated.
The Prowler aircraft provides protection for strike aircraft, ground troops and ships by jamming enemy radar, electronic data links and communications, Martin said.
The plane originated from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, and was believed to be headed to a Navy practice facility in Boardman, where military bombers and fighter planes are stored.
The crash happened just before 11:30 a.m. in West Juniper Canyon at Dorran Road, in the northern part of Umatilla County, authorities said.
http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/s....8096b995.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EA-6_Prowler
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