Two plane crashes within 24 hours resulted in the death of a locally known aviator on Whidbey Island and minor injuries to an 87-year-old man in Port Hadlock-Irondale.

The first crash killed Marc Drake, 67, of Everett, Jan. 12. Drake was well known among aviation groups in Port Townsend and Jefferson County and shared memberships with local pilots, said Michael Payne, the director of the Port Townsend Aero Museum.

Drake was flying an experimental two-seater aircraft and was approaching the W10-Whidbey Air Park at about 11 a.m. for a luncheon with a flying club when the plane crashed, said South Whidbey Fire and EMS Chief John Beck.

A female passenger, whom Beck said was not related to Drake, reportedly was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

In the second crash, about 2 p.m. Jan. 13, the pilot of a Beech B-35 crashed on the property line of 681 and 711 Irondale Road, said Bill Beezely, East Jefferson County Fire and Rescue public information officer. He said the 87-year-old man from Snohomish took off from the Jefferson County International Airport before he crash landed into trees.

Beezely said the plane lost power, hit a tree and sheared off its right wing before “slamming into another tree and coming to a stop.”

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brett Anglin said the pilot reported a malfunctioning door when he attempted to turn around and lost fuel.

Payne said the tactic used by the pilot is not a “textbook maneuver.”

Anytime a malfunction happens while flying, a pilot has it do their best to dissipate energy to reduce the impact of the crash, Payne said.

“It’s self preservation at the point,” Payne said. “You hope for the best possible landing … a fighting chance.”

According to the FAA registry, the plane is owned by ABCS Association of Mukilteo.

On average, the sheriff’s office handles about one plane crash a year, Anglin said.

Both crash investigations were handed over to the National Transportation Safety Board. However, due to the current federal government shutdown, the employees are furloughed and resources are limited to perform investigations.

As for the Whidbey Island crash, “We don’t know all the details yet. It is still being investigated by the NTSB,” Beck said.

The plane reportedly “took a nose-dive” into a densely wooded area, Beck said, noting the crash could not be seen from the air.

“There was no noise, no fire, so no smoke,” Beck said. “It was very difficult to locate and get to.”

TROUBLING CIRCUMSTANCES

Gary Lanthurm of the Jefferson County Pilots Association said the crashes were “troubling” to happen on the same weekend in the local area.

“Overall stats (related to crashes and fatalities) were improving,” Lanthrum said. “2018 was looking like a banner year.”

Lanthrum said pilots are mandated to have competence screenings by the FAA every couple of years.

“So pilots with active license are competent to fly,” he said. “To have two (crashes) is very surprising.”

Lanthrum encourages all pilots to double-check everything before they take off. He said with nicer weather in the area, some pilots might be a little rusty since the last time they were able to fly.

“Take an extra few moments to make sure all of your Is are dotted and Ts are crossed,” Lanthrum said, noting an old saying, “There are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old bold pilots.”