The three men who died Saturday in a plane crash near Salem were all pilots in the Afghan army who had been evacuated after the U.S. pulled out of the country in 2021 and were working to bring their families to the U.S., according to those who knew the men.
The three died when their plane crashed into power lines in heavy fog in Independence. They were identified by police as Mohammad Hussain Musawi, 35, of Independence, Mohammad Bashir Safdari, 35, of Independence and Ali Jan Ferdawsi, 29, of Salem.
Musawi was the pilot of the single-engine plane and the other men were passengers, according to a statement from Independence police and the Polk County Fire District.
The men were refugees from Afghanistan who settled in Oregon in the spring of 2022, according to Salem For Refugees, the group that helped them.
The organization said the three were part of a pilot training program sponsored by Salem For Refugees and funded by Willamette Workforce Partnership, a regional nonprofit labor and education agency.
“The Afghan community in Salem is devastated by this shocking loss,” Salem For Refugees said in a statement. “They are caring for each other and Salem for Refugees and its partners are committed to supporting their families, friends, and relatives.”
According to Darwaish Zakhil, co-founder of the Portland-based Afghan Support Network Support, Musawi, Safdari and Ferdawsi flew large military planes in Afghanistan.
They were evacuated to the U.S. in 2021 and were in the process of having their families join them here, he said.
“They were pursuing their careers,” hoping to get their licenses to fly planes commercially in the United States, Zakhil said. “That was their goal and dream.”
It’s uncertain now what will happen to their families because the men were the main applicants to bring their loved ones to the United States, Zakhil said.
Salem For Refugees has set up a GoFundMe to help the men’s families and cover funeral expenses.
An initial investigation found that the plane was traveling in heavy fog to the Independence State Airport from McMinnville when it crashed around 4:55 p.m., authorities said. The crash led to a small brush fire and a power outage.
“My heart goes out to the deceased and the pain their families are experiencing — our entire department mourns with you during this time,” Independence Police Chief Robert Mason said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have taken over the investigation.
