COUPEVILLE — Officials have released the name of the pilot killed in a plane crash late Thursday afternoon in the Ebey’s Landing area on Whidbey Island.
Michael Scovill Heaton, Sr., was the only person on board. His identity was confirmed Friday afternoon by Island County Deputy Coroner Susan Higman.
The 1969 Piper Arrow that Heaton was flying was returning to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station when it crashed, base spokeswoman Kimberly Martin said.
It wasn’t immediately clear where the pilot was flying from, Martin said.
The crash happened near the intersection of Ebey’s Landing Road and Hill Road, Martin said.
Heaton, a member of the Civil Air Patrol, belonged to the recreational Whidbey Island Navy Flying Club based at the naval air station.
The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, Martin said.
Active duty military personnel with private pilot licenses and Civil Air Patrol pilots who are members of the club can rent the Navy Flying Club’s small planes for personal use, Martin said.
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