MAY 15, 2015
(Photo: Malheur County Sheriff's Office)
JUNTURA, OREGON
A well-known ranch owner was killed Thursday morning when
the small aircraft he was using to herd cattle crashed in Malheur County.
The crash happened at about 10:35 a.m. in Juntura, a rural
community about 60 miles southwest of Vale. Michael Bentz, 51, was using a 1979
Bellanca plane (Bellanca
7GCBC Citabria) to move cattle with help from cowboys on the ground when
his aircraft hit a power line, Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe said.
The plane plummeted to the ground, landing on its top and
killing Bentz, the sole occupant. Wolfe said Bentz is the brother of Oregon
State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, and former Malheur County Sheriff Andrew
Bentz.
Using small aircraft to herd animals is common practice in
the area, Wolfe said.
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Date:
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14-MAY-2015
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Time:
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10:35
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Type:
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Owner/operator:
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Private
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Registration:
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N5042P
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C/n / msn:
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1121-79
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Fatalities:
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Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
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Other fatalities:
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0
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Airplane damage:
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Unknown
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Location:
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Malheur County, near Juntura, OR -
United
States of America |
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Phase:
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Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
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Nature:
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Agricultural
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Departure airport:
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Destination airport:
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Narrative:
The aircraft struck powerlines and impacted terrain while maneuvering near Juntura, Oregon. The airplane sustained unreported damage and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=176125
http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/regional/2015/05/15/bentz-plane-crash/27368117/
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:0::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:14-MAY-15,JUNTURA,N5042P
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N5042P