Five Killed When Plane Crashes Shortly After Takeoff At Bremerton Airport -- Engine Trouble May Have Contributed To Deaths Of Pilot And Four Skydivers

BREMERTON - A small, single-engine plane crashed into a ravine shortly after takeoff from Bremerton National Airport yesterday, killing all five people aboard, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Cessna 182, which apparently experienced engine trouble just after takeoff, went down about 4:15 p.m. and burst into flames upon impact, said Ken Attebery, deputy executive director for the Port of Bremerton.

The plane was carrying four skydivers - one woman and three men - and the pilot, Attebery said.

Two of the victims were identified as Walter Yoho, 57, of Port Orchard, and Jason Hall, of the U.S. Army. Hall, a native of Kentucky, was stationed at Fort Lewis. The names of the other three, including the pilot, have not yet been confirmed by dental records, the Kitsap County Coroner's office said this morning.

Among them, the skydivers had at least 30 years of skydiving experience, said Robert Turso of Blue Skies Skydiving Adventures, based in nearby Shelton.

"They were all experienced divers out to have fun," Turso said.

The plane, rented from Blue Skies, was headed south when it appeared to experience engine trouble. In an apparent attempt to turn the plane around, the pilot banked left, Attebery said. The plane then crashed into a 20- to 30-foot-deep ravine on the airport grounds, Attebery said.

An airport official who received a radio report that a plane had gone down arrived shorty after the crash and sprayed liquid foam on the plane to try to extinguish the fire.

A few minutes later, firefighters from South Kitsap County Fire District 7 arrived and put out the remaining hot spots. The front and midsection of the plane were destroyed by the crash and fire.

All the victims were taken from the wreckage by about 7:30 p.m., said Lisa Kirkemo, a spokeswomen from the fire department. The coroner's office said all five died on impact.

Skydiver Elaine Carroll said about 30 people were participating in a series of jumps yesterday, part of a Blue Skies' end-of-summer party. There was a slight wind and cloudy skies at the time of the accident, which was just right for skydiving, Turso said.

The people who died had made several jumps yesterday. The planes typically went up 9,500 to 10,000 feet before the skydivers jumped out.

"I could have been on that plane," Carroll said.

The airport was closed until the investigation is complete or until the FAA indicates it can be reopened, said Lynn Hills, the airport's director of finance and administration. Bremerton National is considered a general aviation airport, which means it has no scheduled flights, Hills said.

Officials from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were at the accident site yesterday to begin their investigation.

Seattle Times staff reporter Arthur Santana and the Associated Press contributed to this report.