Two Teenagers Killed In Clackamas Plane Crash

A small plane apparently suffering engine problems crashed into a cul-de-sac in a residential neighborhood near Clackamas Town Center on Monday afternoon, killing two teenagers and injuring a third.

Witnesses said they heard the engine of the Cessna 172 sputtering about 2:50 p.m. just before it plunged into the neighborhood just north of Camp Withycombe, an Oregon National Guard training base.

The crash occurred just 50 feet from the nearest house, but no one on the ground was injured, said Damon Coates, spokesman for the Clackamas County sheriff’s office.

The pilot, Mike Rhoten, 19, and his best friend, Josh Critchett, 17, were killed.

Emily Takahashi, 17, was taken by helicopter ambulance to University Hospital in Portland.

She was in critical condition with severe head and abdominal injuries and a fractured pelvis, hospital spokesman Marlys Levin said.

All three teenagers were from the same area in Clackamas where the crash occurred, Coates said. Rhoten apparently had brought his friends along for the ride.

“The pilot’s parents say he was working toward his commercial pilot’s license and was logging as many hours as possible,” Coates said.