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The Harney County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a single glider plane crash on the Alvord Desert.

On July 17, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the Harney County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a single glider plane crash on the Alvord Desert in Southern Harney County.

Based on eyewitness statements and the investigation performed by Harney County deputies, it was determined that the glider plane, operated by David Kibby, 71, of Damascus, contacted the ground with the wing while being towed during takeoff, causing the plane to nose into the ground. Kibby was ejected from the plane at impact and pronounced deceased at the scene.

Other agencies assisting in the call were law enforcement from the Bureau of Land Management. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were also notified.

The case remains under investigation.