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Preliminary Report Says Weather Possible Factor In Plane Crash Which Killed Ventura County Family

(Photo courtesy Lynn County Sheriff's Office)
Wreckage of plane crash in Oregon which killed four Californians, including a Thousand Oaks family

A preliminary federal report on an April 7th plane crash in Oregon which left four people dead, including three members of a Ventura County family cites poor visibility and turbulent conditions as possible factors in the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board released some of its initial findings into the crash in Harrisburg, Oregon which is near Eugene. The accident killed John Zitting, his wife Karen, and their son Brendan, as well as the plane’s pilot, Mark Aletky.

The Thousand Oaks family was headed to Eugene to visit the University of Oregon, which the Westlake High Senior was considering attending in the fall.

Officials said the pilot was using instruments to navigate because of the weather, and witnesses reported seeing the plane flying at treetop level before it crashed into a field. The federal investigation into the accident is continuing.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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