PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An experienced pilot made an emergency landing on the Columbia River after the engine on his small plane quit as he approached the Troutdale Airport Monday afternoon.

Rick Boettcher, who is in his 70s with more than 25 years as a pilot, walked away unhurt after the crash landing around 3:15 p.m. near Gary Island Park in the Sandy River Delta.

Boettcher climbed out of the plane on his own and got to dry land, where he was picked up and taken to Chinook Landing to be medically checked.

Cascadia Subduction Zone study reveals area at particular risk for massive quake

“I was coming downwind to land in Troutdale. As I was turning to base — pilots will know what this is — the engine quit. I didn’t have enough altitude to make it to the runway so I had to plan my landing, because when your engine quits you have to land,” Boettcher told KOIN 6 News. “And the best possible spot was not in the wires, you know, those high power wire that go in. And a water landing seemed like my best bet.”

Emergency crews from Gresham and Portland Airport Fire & Rescue rushed to the scene to help, as did the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. The US Coast Guard is responding to remove the submerged plane from the river.

The FAA will look into the cause of the crash landing.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.