Former Soviet Trainer Went Down In Rural Area

The Friday afternoon downing of a Yakolev Yak-52 near Vancouver, WA resulted in the loss of a father and his son. FAA spokesman Mike Fergus told local media the restored Soviet trainer crashed around 1630 PDT during a VFR flight from Vancouver to Klamath Falls, OR.

The Portland Oregonian reports the aircraft took off from the privately-owned Green Mountain STOLPort (WA67), and came down about a half mile from the field in a meadow ringed with trees.

Lost in the accident were retired Delta Air Lines pilot Benjamin J. Runyan, 66, and his son, Ben Runyan Jr., 31, of Houston. The elder Runyan was the operator of the private field, along with his wife.

Cmdr. Rusty Warren with the Clark County Sheriff's Office told the Columbian newspaper the aircraft was "performing some kind of maneuver" just before the accident.

"All I did was to see it spiraling down," one witness told the paper. "Then we heard the sound of it hitting. I just heard a thud."

There was no post-impact fire.

The Yak-52 (type shown below) is a single engine primary trainer used in the late 70's and early 80's by Soviet nations.

Since its first flight in 1976, approximately 1,800 Yak-52s have been produced, with many aircraft -- now produced by Aerostar -- flying in western countries as civilian sport and aerobatic aircraft.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.warbirdalley.com/yak52.htm