Father, Son Die In Plane Crash

A Yakima business magnate and his son died in a fiery plane crash after a trip to Seattle to watch a professional basketball game.

Michael Mercy, whose age was not immediately available, was flying the 22-year-old Aero Commander that crashed and burst into flames about 10:30 p.m. Friday near the Yakima airport, and his 16-year-old son, Michael Jr., was the only passenger, police Sgt. Larry Worden said.

“There aren’t any survivors,” said Lee Fryer, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

Investigators for the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were dispatched to try to determine the cause of the crash.