VENETA, Ore. — Four people who worked for the Oregon Country Fair have been identified as the victims of a weekend crash of a small airplane in Lane County.
The fair is a three-day music and crafts gathering with roots in the counterculture. The 43rd fair is scheduled for mid-July at Veneta, west of Eugene.
The plane went down Saturday afternoon shortly after taking off from a private airstrip nearby.
The Lane County sheriff’s office released the names of the victims Monday, KVAL-TV reported.
Two were from Eugene: Jerome Roch Delbosc D’Auzon, 41; and Erin Thomas Frank Noble, 27.
Two were from Junction City: Robyn Leigh Weir, 40; and Christopher Robin Kent, 37.
“They will be deeply missed, but always remembered in the Country Fair’s spirit of love, hope, and acceptance,” the fair organization said on its website.
Officials haven’t said what caused the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. A preliminary report could come as soon as Friday, although such reports can take up to two weeks. A final report could take months or years.
The Cessna 172 crashed shortly after leaving a rural airport on a sightseeing trip.
Charles Ruff, the fair’s general manager, said there were about 200 volunteers at the fair site at the time of the crash. No one reported hearing the crash.
Ruff said D’Auzon was a certified pilot. Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane, built in 1956, had current certifications.
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