3 dead after small plane crashes into town homes in Oregon, sparking fire

Three people are confirmed dead after a small plane crashed into a row of town houses and sparked a massive fire Saturday in Fairview, Oregon.

Bright orange flames and smoke billowed from at least two homes with debris strewn across their driveways as firefighters outside worked quickly to battle the blaze, according to social media videos vetted by NBC News.

The pilot, a passenger and someone who lived in one of the town homes was killed in the crash in Fairview, about 14 miles east of Portland, Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis said.

The plane, a Cessna 421C, crashed around 10:20 a.m. local time after it experienced mechanical issues, the fire department said.

The plane with its two occupants went down near Troutdale Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

It first hit a power pole or tower, causing it to fall into a field, which started a brush fire, said John Plock, a Multnomah County sheriff’s spokesperson. Because it is a swampy area, the fire didn’t spread.

The aircraft then crashed into town houses, which also caught fire, Plock said. The area was vacated, and residents of the adjoining town homes were asked to evacuate, as well.

The fire spread to four units and will most likely displace five families. There was no mayday call, and none of the firefighters were injured, Lewis said.

Plock said that he believed there was “a somewhat large debris field” and that officials were collecting parts of the plane to be investigated.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.