In brief: Spokane doctor dies in plane crash

A 64-year-old Spokane physician was killed Saturday when a float plane carrying five people crashed into Lake Chelan while attempting to land near the remote resort hamlet of Stehekin.

Dr. William Stifter, of Spokane, and another passenger, Roberta Pitts, 67, of Stehekin, were trapped under water and rescuers were unable to revive them, the Associated Press reported. They were taken to Lake Chelan Community Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Their single-engine DeHavilland Beaver was on a charter flight from Chelan Airways that had departed at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and crashed a short time later when it flipped onto its top after touching down on the water, a Chelan County sheriff’s deputy said.

The pilot was Howard “Brick” Wellman, 61, of Chelan. He suffered a head cut. A passenger, Patricia Stifter, 60, of Spokane, was treated for hypothermia. Both were taken to Lake Chelan Community Hospital. Another passenger, Samantha Courtney, 16, of Stehekin, remained with relatives in Stehekin.

Federal investigators arrived at the crash scene Sunday. Stehekin is not accessible by road.

Wellpinit, Wash.

Fire breaks out on reservation

Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighters worked Sunday to contain a wildfire that broke out Saturday afternoon and spread to about 300 acres, a spokeswoman said Sunday evening.

About 20 to 30 firefighters converged on the blaze in the Maggie Shoupes beach area along the Spokane River on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Cause of the fire was not immediately known. It had been fairly well contained on Sunday despite breezy conditions in the afternoon, the spokeswoman said.

Bonner County, Idaho

Man killed in U.S. 95 crash

A 32-year-old Sagle, Idaho, man was killed early Sunday when he attempted to pass on U.S. Highway 95 south of Sandpoint.

Shane Beebe died at the scene after he was ejected from his pickup, which came to rest in Hermann Lake along the highway, authorities said.

State Police investigated the accident. They said that Beebe was headed south and attempted to pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed.

He lost control of his Dodge pickup, which left the roadway, rolled several times and landed in the water a short time after midnight, police said.

Beebe was not wearing a seat belt.

Firefighters douse blaze

Sagle, Idaho, firefighters doused a small brush fire that broke out near a residence on Kelso Woods Road south of Sandpoint on Sunday evening.

No injuries or other property damage were reported in the 6:45 p.m. blaze. The Timberlake Fire Department also helped in the effort.