A small plane crashed Sunday afternoon at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain on property owned by the Energy Department’s Hanford Site in Washington state. There were no injuries.
The plane’s two occupants said they were flying to view the elk herd in the area, according to a Facebook post from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. But the aircraft flew too low and a gust of wind caused it to veer downward.
The Tri-City Herald newspaper reported the occupants were a 48-year-old and an 87-year-old, both men from Washington state. The newspaper reported the crash site is located on a portion of the sprawling Hanford property managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The airplane was damaged extensively, according to the Sheriff’s Office, which said it reported the accident to the Federal Aviation Administration and Hanford security. The crash appears to be an accident that does not involve drugs or alcohol, according to the sheriff’s post.
Hanford officials directed inquiries on the topic to the Benton County Sheriff’s Department. A sergeant on duty with the sheriff’s office noted that the crash took place several miles from Hanford’s restricted area.