Salvage Questions Hinder Recovery Of Plane Wreckage Craft That Crashed Into Lake On Monday Wasn’t Insured

Lack of insurance is hampering efforts to determine what caused a small plane to crash into Lake Roosevelt, killing all three men aboard.

Neither the National Transportation Safety Board nor the Federal Aviation Administration, which are conducting a joint investigation, pay for underwater salvage operations, which usually are covered by insurance.

But the plane that plunged into 40 feet of water Monday, about 2-1/2 miles north of Kettle Falls, was uninsured.

Salvage discussions were under way Friday among numerous individuals and organizations with interests in the plane, including creditors.

“You’d think, somewhere along the line, one of the environmental agencies would take the bull by the horns and go ahead and do it,” said Art Jones, manager of the FAA’s Spokane district office. “I suspect that may happen fairly soon.”

He noted that the plane contains fuel, oil and battery acid that could leak into the reservoir. Government agencies might front the salvage cost and attempt to recover it from the estate of the plane’s owner and pilot, Richard Donley.

Investigators won’t be able to determine the cause of the crash until they can examine the wreckage. “However,” Jones said, “at this time it doesn’t appear, judging from witness statements, that there was any indication of a mechanical malfunction.”

A witness said the engine seemed to be running normally when the northbound plane banked left and dove into the water.

Pilots say one possible cause is that the aircraft banked too sharply while going too slowly or too close to the ground. Airplanes lose lift when their wings are not parallel to the ground.

“That’s a hypothesis that certainly would be of interest to us,” Jones said.

While the NTSB will focus on the cause of the crash, Jones said the FAA is checking whether Donley complied with safety regulations. He said Donley, 45, had been a pilot since 1977 with no history of violations.

Among other issues, Jones said investigators want to know whether Donley met special requirements for carrying passengers.

Donley had two fellow Stevens County residents aboard when his plane went down. The passengers, Michael Wooster, 41, and Daniel Schoonover, 47, both had ties to motorcycle gangs.

Law enforcement sources say the plane may have been “buzzing” the home of another biker just before the crash.

, DataTimes