A small plane crash Thursday morning near Hope, Idaho, killed three friends and pilots, including the widow of Dr. Forrest Morton Bird, whose research in breathing apparatuses led to the development of the modern respirator. Sagle resident Pamela Riddle Bird, who lost her husband Aug. 2, died in the crash along with Tookie and Don Hensley of Mohave Valley, Arizona, friends confirmed today. They were aboard a Cessna 182 fixed-wing aircraft that went down in the Cabinet Mountains near Lake Pend Oreille on Thursday morning. Searchers found the crash site on the south side of Round Top Mountain Thursday afternoon. Clark Fork Fire and Rescue responded to the crash site. Fire Marshal Lois John said the flight originated from the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center in Sagle and was headed to Boise/Scott Maben, SR. More here.

• Inventor Forrest Bird dies/L.A. Times
• No survivors in Hope area plane crash/Bonner County Bee
• Photo of Pamela Bird and Tookie Hensley on Flight to Success blog (2nd item) here.