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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Report details events of fatal plane crash near Hope

SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) – A preliminary federal report details the events of a plane crash that killed three people near the town of Hope, Idaho, in October.

The Bonner County Daily Bee reports that the National Transportation Safety Board report did not indicate why the Cessna 182 plane crashed shortly after taking off Oct. 8.

Killed were the pilot Pamela Bird, widow of renowned inventor Forrest Bird, as well as Donald and Tookie Hensley, of Mohave Valley, Arizona.

The report released last week says that the plane crashed into pine trees near a mountain ridge line and was destroyed in a post-crash fire.

Bird was piloting the plane, which left from the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center in Sagle, Idaho, which has its own airstrip. It was headed to Minot, North Dakota.

The report says the flight was scheduled to leave Oct. 7 but had been delayed because of bad weather.