Coast Guard suspends search for missing plane in Astoria; Clatsop Co. will continue

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a former county commissioner from Washington after his plane crashed while trying to help a woman scatter the ashes of her deceased husband.

Officials with Clatsop County say they'll continue the search for pilot John McKibbin and his passenger -- the two took off in an antique plane from Pearson Field in Vancouver Wednesday evening.

Soon after, the U.S. Coast Guard soon got reports of a small plane crashing in the Columbia River near Astoria. Deputies found oil in the water Thursday, Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin said.

"We are doing a bottom grid search and scanning with sonar to see what we can get for the families," Bergin said.

Bergin confirmed the pilot was McKibbin, a former county commissioner in Clark County. The sheriff said he has yet to confirm the name of the other victim.

McKibbin and the woman were heading to the mouth of the Columbia River to scatter the ashes of the woman's deceased husband, said George Welsh, a friend of McKibbin.

McKibbin was flying a North American AT-6 aircraft, said Welsh, himself a pilot. The two-seater aircraft, silver with red on its nose and tail, is frequently displayed at Pearson and has been flown to honor military veterans.

McKibbin, 69, served two terms as a state representative before he was elected to the county commission in 1978. He left office in 1990 to become a real estate developer, but he remained active in the community.

"One of the things that always struck me about John was he was very caring and had a very good sense of humor," said Jean Ryland, a neighbor of McKibbin's for more than 25 years.

The Coast Guard's portion of the search was suspended just after 4 p.m. Thursday.

"We are searching for a needle in a haystack. We are going to continue to search for the families and see what we can do, but right now we believe this is a recovery mission," Bergin said.