Two Die While Attempting Emergency Landing On Road

Two people died Saturday when their small plane crashed into Elk Creek as they tried to make an emergency landing on a tree-lined highway south of this small timber town.

Bruce and Bonnie Tifft left the Cottage Grove Airport about 7:30 a.m. Their flight plan indicated they were headed south to Mohave, Calif.

Engine problems apparently forced the couple to try to land on the Tiller-Trail Highway, but the plane hit some tree limbs and crashed into the creek about 9 a.m., said Deputy Herman Foster of the Douglas County sheriff’s office.

Divers from the sheriff’s office recovered the bodies of the couple from the wreckage, which caused a small fuel spill in the creek. It was contained by U.S. Forest Service employees.