Boeing Stearman crashes on the way to the fly-in, claiming one life

The pilot of the 1943 Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet, 72-year-old Christopher M. Paulson, was seriously injured. The 45-year-old passenger Jed Paul Kelly was found dead in the wreckage.

Photos of the crash scene taken by the Skamania County Sheriff's Office show the yellow-gray plane upside down and nose down in a densely wooded area.

Paulson made a brief stop at Ed Carlson Memorial Field/South Lewis County Airport (KTDO) in Toledo, Washington, before continuing south toward Hood River as part of a group of three Stearman aircraft making the trip together, departing KTDO just before noon.

According to preliminary ADS-B data, the Kaydet was observed heading south at 12:16 p.m. PDT at an altitude of 1,800 feet. Approximately 15 minutes later, it turned east and began a gradual climb until it reached an altitude of 2,700 feet.

During the flight, however, Paulson became separated from the three-plane formation, according to WSDOT. The other two planes reached the destination, and when Paulson's Kaydet did not arrive within an hour and a half, they reported the plane missing. WSDOT received the call at 3:05 p.m. and immediately launched a search.

The missing Kaydet's ADS-B report showed the aircraft reached an altitude of 2,600 feet at a ground speed of 43 knots. The aircraft continued to climb and ground speed decreased until it reached an altitude of 3,000 feet and 43 knots before beginning a rapid descent.

According to the map data, the terrain elevation in the area where the last ADS-B data was received was between 2,500 and 3,000 feet above sea level.

Using cellphone and radar forensics, authorities determined that the plane's flight path ended at a location about 12 miles northwest of Stevenson, Washington, around 1 p.m. The wreckage was found in rugged terrain in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. There was no fire after the crash.

“The US Coast Guard from Astoria [Oregon] A rescue helicopter and crew, as well as Skamania County search and rescue teams, located the crash site and heard a male voice,” WSDOT said. “The aircraft and its occupants were discovered in the forest trees in a steep ravine at 6:20 p.m.”

According to the Skamania County Sheriff's Office, Paulson was taken to Portland, Oregon for medical treatment.

Organizations assisting in the search included Skamania County Search and Rescue, U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, National Civil Air Patrol radar and cell phone forensics teams, Washington Air Search and Rescue, and WSDOT personnel.

According to FAA records, Paulson holds a pilot's license and multiple type ratings, as well as a valid medical certificate.

The FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Skamania County Sheriff's Office are investigating the accident.

Meanwhile, the WAAAM flight took on a somewhat somber tone over the weekend as pilots discussed the accident and the smoke from the wildfire in the area. Some pilots said the smoke was so thick to the south that they turned back.

The pilots at the WAAAM Fly-In honored Kelly on Sunday with a flight of four Stearmans over the airfield in the missing man formation.