HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) – A pilot and passenger were killed in a small plane crash near Hood River.

Hood River County Deputy Joel Ives told the Oregonian/OregonLive that the crash happened at about 10:10 a.m. Friday in a field between a runway and a hangar at Hood River Airport.

He says witnesses heard the engine sputter before the plane headed toward the ground.

The identities of the two people have not yet been released by authorities. It’s not immediately clear what caused the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it’s investigating.

The agency described the plane as a Piper PA-18 Super Cub, a two-seat, single-engine aircraft.

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