Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Local News


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Monday, July 28, 2008 - Page updated at 11:30 PM

E-mail article     Print view      Share:    Digg     Newsvine

Three dead in plane crash near Arlington, WA

A veteran airline pilot was at the controls in a Skagit County light plane crash that killed all three people aboard.

ARLINGTON, Wash. —

A veteran airline pilot was at the controls in a Skagit County light plane crash that killed all three people aboard.

Brenda L. Houston, 47, of Enumclaw, was a pilot for United Airlines, her husband confirmed.

Houston, her 10-year-old daughter Elizabeth Crews of Enumclaw and 54-year-old Dr. Virgil Becker of Auburn all died in the Sunday night crash north of here, the Skagit County sheriff's office said.

"I lost my baby," said Tom Crews, Houston's husband and the little girl's father. "But she's with her mother. She loved flying with her mother, and the two of them are flying together. They're happy. We lost half our family."

Crews said he and Houston met when both were pilots for Pan Am. She continued to fly with United Airlines, he said.

Becker was a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Cascade Spine Center.

Sheriff's Deputy Will Reichardt said reports indicate that the Cessna 172 was flying from Roche Harbor on San Juan Island to Auburn.

Becker had spent the weekend at his vacation home on San Juan Island with his family, friends told The Seattle Times. Becker's wife and daughter took the ferry home, while Becker hitched a ride with Houston and her daughter, the friends said.

The wreckage was located nine miles north of Arlington, in the area of Bald Mountain. Reichardt said searchers and federal investigators had to cut their way through brush to reach it on Monday.

The cause of the crash was under investigation but answers could take weeks, said Debra Eckrote, National Transportation Safety Board deputy regional chief.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan

Flood fears dampen business, home sales

Nicole Brodeur: Homeless woman bent on giving

Portland cafe's specialty: medical-marijuana tokes

Thousands of tax-refund checks undeliverable

Advertising

This feature requires Flash 7.

Download Flash

Top video | World | Science / Tech | Entertainment

Marketplace

Open Houses

Find this weekend's open house listings.
Or search by location:

nwautos

Less is more: Group rides, good gas mileage have led to a scooter swarm in Seattlenew
Local riders say they've seen a surge in scooter interest in recent years, mostly from people wanting another commuting option. Seattle now ranks as o...
Post a comment
Advertising