The small plane that crashed March 3 while attempting to land at Sisters Eagle Airport lost power during a forced landing, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The safety board is still determining the exact cause of the crash, but shared details in a report from the initial investigation.
The 1972 Cessna 172G was substantially damaged and the pilot and passenger both sustained minor injuries.
The pilot, Madison Stieber, 23, reported the first part of the flight was uneventful with multiple touch-and-go landings at nearby airports, according to the report.
But when returning to the Sisters airport, the plane approached the landing strip too fast and bounced in the air about 150 to 200 feet. While in the air, the plane’s engine lost power. Stieber tried to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful, the report said.
The crash was reported to 911 at 5:43 p.m. and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on scene.
When the plane bounced and went airborne it flew southwest, over Camp Polk Road and struck the top of a tree before hitting the ground and coming to rest in a dry pond on private property in the 69000 block of Camp Polk Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
The plane’s tail, wings and fuselage were severely damaged.
“The airplane landed hard during the forced landing and came to rest in a nose down position,” the safety board report stated.
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