NORTH BEND, Oregon — A woman from southern Utah is sharing the scary experience she had last week after her husband and son-in-law were involved in a plane crash in Oregon.
On Monday, a private jet departed from St. George Regional Airport and flew to the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport. It landed on the runway, but then skidded off and ended up in the Coos Bay Estuary.
There were five people on board, including the pilot. They were all taken to the hospital for treatment. Three were released the same day, one was kept a bit longer for observation, and another was taken to another hospital for specialized care. All five have since been released.
Kasandra Leavitt wrote in a Facebook post that her husband, Andy, and her son-in-law, Austin, were on board.
"At 7:35 AM I received a phone call from an unfamiliar Coos Bay number," she wrote. "I knew instantly that this was a call that may change everything."
Leavitt said her husband has been traveling to Coos Bay regularly for a few years as he works a government contract to repair a jetty.
On the other end of that call, Leavitt said, was her son-in-law. She said he assured her that her husband was OK, but struggling to breathe and talk.
"[It] hit me hard," she said of getting the news that the plane was in the water. "It was at this point that I knew the situation was horrific."
According to Leavitt, the initial landing was "flawless." She said they believe the plane's brakes malfunctioned.
She added that the pilot is a "seasoned veteran" with 50 years of flight experience.
"Dean expertly maneuvered the plane between towers, a building and barricades - which if any of them were hit, would have certainly led to an explosive outcome," she wrote.
Leavitt said her husband has six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a fractured kneecap.
She expressed her thanks to those who helped her and her other family members travel to Oregon as quickly as possible, and for the support they've had since that day.
