A small plane crash just outside Portland, Oregon, has claimed the lives of three individuals, including Jacqueline Whitford, a respected 79-year-old flight instructor from Arizona.
Whitford, known for her lifelong passion for aviation, was on a maintenance test flight for a twin-engine Cessna 421C on Aug. 31 when the accident occurred.
The plane, piloted by 73-year-old Michael Busher collided with powerlines and exploded upon impact with a row of townhomes. Whitford and Busher died at the scene, along with Barbara MacDonald, a 75-year-old woman who was inside her home when the crash happened.
Whitford’s love for flying began in her childhood and flourished after a divorce. She pursued flight lessons in 1990. She quickly became a flight instructor, earning accolades including the FAA’s “Flight Instructor of the Year” award in 2003. Her expertise and enthusiasm for aviation made her a beloved figure at Deer Valley Airport in Glendale.
Her daughter, Michelle Whitford Raynes, said Whitford had been excited to assist Busher with the plane, which she had flown frequently before it was grounded for a few years.