Family of pilot killed in Jefferson Wilderness must pay to remove plane debris

Update: The wreck from the plane crash was removed and the process turned into a film by "Heavy D" of the HeavyDSparks YouTube Channel. You can read the story and see the film here.

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ORIGINAL STORY

The family of a Washington man who died in a plane crash deep in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness say they’re facing a $25,000 to $50,000 bill to remove the plane’s debris from a steep mountainside far from any road.

Wayne Wirt, 67, of Chehalis, Washington, died about 4:15 p.m. Sept. 22 when his Piper Cherokee crashed just south of Mount Jefferson on a high peak during a solo flight between California and Washington.

Wirt, who built movie sets in southern California before retiring to Chehalis years ago, leaves behind a wife and three children who now bear the cost of paying to have the plane’s debris removed from a location that’s extremely difficult to access.

“This heavy cost falls on (the) family to cover,” wrote April Winters, Wayne’s daughter-in-law, on a GoFundMe page set up to help raise the money.

She said the National Transportation Safety Board and Linn County Sheriff's Office are looking into what caused the crash.

The plane was not insured, and the family was told by the U.S. Forest Service they are “ultimately responsible for coordinating with a wreckage removal company,” she said in an email to the Statesman Journal. It is not required that small airplanes be insured, unlike cars.

Wayne was the sole provider for his family. His wife, Cindy, “is left with precious little to cover the impending bills and costs of this tragic affair," Winters said.

She said because of the remote nature of the crash site — and its location in a federal wilderness area that outlaws the use of motorized vehicles, it will require a large helicopter to remove, “which is not cheap nor easy."

The first contractor contacted quoted the family $50,000 to remove the aircraft, she said. Another quoted them $25,000.

They have limited time to get the work done before snow covers the area, which is at about 6,500 feet in the Cascade Range.

“We have a time limit to get the airplane out as the weather will make it more challenging in the near future,” Winters said.

The Forest Service said any time debris or other property is left in a forest, "it needs to be removed by the responsible party."

"In the event of a vehicle or plane crash, this would normally be the owner, their estate, or possibly an insurer," Tammy Robinson, spokeswoman for Willamette National Forest, said.

The agency said it hopes to have the plane removed later this fall.

"The wreckage is in a difficult location, and we are working closely with NTSB, Linn County Search and Rescue, and the family of the pilot on developing a plan for its removal that meets the interests and needs of all involved," Robinson said. "A helicopter is one option being considered."

While the removal process is sorted out, the Forest Service said the public should avoid the area and especially the crash site. The investigation is ongoing.

"Right now, our plan is to post signs near the wreckage telling folks to stay away," Robinson said.

The crash site is on a peak that is occasionally climbed by hikers and backpackers.

So far, there’s limited clues about what went wrong.

Wirt sent his flight plan to his wife and briefly spoke with his son about the route before taking off. But there was an unexpected stop at Sisters Airport to refuel at 3 p.m. By 4:14 p.m., two hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail heard a plane crash and told the Linn County Sheriff’s Office they could smell fuel.

Winters described Wirt as a dedicated family man who “spent time volunteering with his local Lions Club mowing school and church lawns, and helping his neighbors complete time-intensive landscape projects,” she wrote. “He also enjoyed helping his kids with their various endeavors in his shop. He loved tinkering and playing with new tools, and passed that love on to his boys.”

“If you’re able to help a fellow pilot or just have it on your heart to contribute, we would be incredibly grateful and promise to pay these acts of kindness forward in as many ways as we can,” Winters wrote. “Finally, please hug those you love a little tighter, we really never know when that’ll be the last time we say goodbye.”

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Pilot's family raising funds for cleanup of fatal Oregon crash