3 dead after plane crashes into townhomes near Portland, Oregon: Reports

Three people are dead after a plane crashed into townhomes outside of Portland, Oregon, according to reports.

On Saturday at 10:25 a.m. local time, a small airplane crashed in Fairview, a residential neighborhood 15 miles outside of downtown Portland, Peter Knudson, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, told USA TODAY in an email.

Three people died in the crash, which sparked a fire and caused four homes to go up in flames, KGW8 and KOIN reported.

The two people onboard the planes died in the crash, and a third person not on board died from the impact, according to KOIN.

The NTSB is investigating the crash, which involves three primary areas, according to Knudson: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.

Two investigators will arrive at the crash scene to document the wreckage. The aircraft will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.

Witnesses and anyone with information or surveillance footage regarding the crash that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

USA TODAY has contacted the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and Gresham Fire Department for more details.

Where did the plane crash?

The plane crashed into a neighborhood in Fairview, about 15 miles from downtown Portland, according to a social media post from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.

The plane, a twin-engine Cessna 421C, went down at about 10:30 a.m. near Troutdale Airport, according to the FAA.

Video footage posted to social media showed what appeared to be residential buildings on fire and a large, billowing plume of smoke.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz