Low Airspeed Blamed for 2012 Crash in Oregon

The National Transportation Safety Board says a plane crash that killed four people near Veneta, Ore., in 2012 was likely caused by the pilot’s failure to achieve adequate airspeed and altitude to clear trees shortly after takeoff.

The probable cause report obtained by The Register-Guard newspaper says the plane was traveling slowly after its throttle control had been shifted into an idle position as the single-engine craft made its initial climb.

Investigators found no evidence of mechanical malfunction in the crash that killed the pilot and his three passengers.

The four had volunteered to work at the Oregon Country Fair, the outdoor festival held each summer on property just east of where the plane crashed.