Afghan Air Force Pilots Killed In Fog In Oregon Crash

Three former Afghan air force pilots were killed in a pre-Christmas crash of a Cessna 172 in fog in Independence, Oregon. The pilot-in-command in the Dec. 16 accident was 35-year-old…

Three former Afghan air force pilots were killed in a pre-Christmas crash of a Cessna 172 in fog in Independence, Oregon. The pilot-in-command in the Dec. 16 accident was 35-year-old Mohammad Hussain Musawi and passengers were Mohammad Bashir Safdari, also 35, and 29-year-old Ali Jan Ferdawsi. All three fought with the American military in the Afghan war and were resettled as refugees in the Salem, Oregon, area. Musawi was training to get his commercial and instrument ratings, and the NTSB said in its preliminary report (search for  WPR24FA057) he ignored his instructor's warning that fog had settled over their home airport in Independence.

Musawi and one of the other men took off from Independence and flew to McMinnville, where they flew two approaches before picking up the other passenger. Musawi's instructor, who was monitoring the flight electronically, called the pilot to advise him not to return to Independence because of the fog. Musawi said he would give it a try and divert if necessary. After failing to get on the extended centerline, the 172 hit a power pole about 700 feet short of the runway. The plane's fuselage was consumed in a post-crash fire.

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.