This article was updated with more information about the pilot training program and a fundraiser for the pilots’ families.
Three Afghan refugees who resettled last year in Salem were killed on Saturday after a small plane crashed into a powerline pole near Independence.
Pilot Mohammad Husain Musawi, 35, and passengers Mohammad Bashir Safdari, 35, and Ali Jan Ferdawsi, 29, died in the collision. The men came to Salem in spring 2022 and were part of a pilot training program sponsored by the nonprofit Salem For Refugees, a refugee resettlement agency, according to a statement from the organization.
All three earned private pilot licenses earlier this year, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
The plane, a Cessna C-172G, was returning from the McMinnville Municipal Airport when it crashed at 4:52 p.m. Saturday into a powerline pole near the Independence State Airport, according to Sarah Taylor Sulick, spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board.
The plane crashed on Hoffman Road in Independence, causing a small brush fire and power outage. There was heavy fog at the time, the Independence Police Department said in a statement Sunday.
FAA records did not list an instrument rating for any of the three men. An instrument rating allows pilots to fly in conditions where visibility is poor using the plane’s instruments to navigate.
No other passengers were on the plane, and police have not discovered any other deaths or injuries from the crash. The owner of the plane was not on board at the time, the police agency said.
The people who died in the crash were among a large influx of Afghan residents who Salem For Refugees have brought to the city over the past two years.
The organization in 2022 launched a pilot training program with a $200,000 grant from Willamette Workforce Partnership. That grant is still active, and six pilots were enrolled and training, said Kim Parker-Llerenas, the partnership’s executive director.
Salem for Refugees executive director Luke Glaze said at the time that the Afghan refugees relocated to Salem included a group of seven highly trained pilots with decades of flying experience – some for the military, some in cargo planes. The program was intended to help them receive U.S. certification and complete required flight hours to earn a commercial pilot’s license.
“These brave individuals served their country with unwavering dedication, flying missions under some of the most challenging conditions imaginable,” Salem for Refugees wrote in a GoFundMe raising money for the men’s funeral expenses and families.
The men leave behind family in Afghanistan who they were waiting to welcome to the U.S., the fundraiser said. The fund’s goal is $150,000.
“The Afghan community in Salem is devastated by this shocking loss,” Salem For Refugees wrote in its statement Saturday.
The organization has been in contact with the victims’ friends and relatives who live in Salem, including other pilots who are part of the program, according to Laurel Rightmer, director of operations and development.
“The tragic loss of these individuals, who had shown remarkable resilience and dedication, weighs heavily on our hearts. We extend our sincerest condolences to their friends, families, and the broader community affected by this devastating event,” Willamette Workforce Partnership wrote in a statement.
Police said Hoffman Road will remain closed while power crews work to restore power to the area.
“My heart goes out to the deceased and the pain their families are experiencing – our entire department mourns with you during this time,” Independence police Chief Robert Mason said in the statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are now handling the investigation.
The plane will be taken to Auburn, Washington for evaluation, the board said in an email.
Investigators will review records including flight track data, air traffic control communications, maintenance records, weather forecasts, and the pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience. They will also consider whether any issues in the three days before the crash could have impacted the pilot’s ability to safely fly the plane, the agency said.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the accident, has surveillance video or has any other information that could be relevant to the investigation to contact the board at [email protected].
The board will release a preliminary report within 30 days, which will be accessible on its investigations database with the board number WPR24FA057 and will also be posted on social media. That report will contain factual information gathered early in the investigation. The probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors would come in the final report, which is expected in the next 12 to 14 months, the board said.
Managing Editor Rachel Alexander contributed reporting.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
