140-foot power line repairs begin after deadly plane crash over Columbia River

A contracted crew on Tuesday was preparing to replace a damaged power line that crosses the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities cable bridge after it was hit by floatplane last week, killing the pilot and his passenger.

The goal is to have the Benton PUD high-tension line repaired by Thursday ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, when many boaters will be on the river for the holiday.

On Wednesday, the replacement cable is expected to go up, said Michael Redinger of DJ’s Electrical. It will be pulled across the river with a large rope.

At least a partial closure of the river is expected as the cable is pulled across the half mile of open water from towers in Pasco to Clover Island and then to the Kennewick shoreline just upriver from the Lampson building in Kennewick.

The power line attaches to 140-foot towers.

The river remained open for boaters Tuesday after occasional closures, but flaggers were stationed along the paths to stop walkers and bicyclists, as needed during the work.

Benton County Sheriff and Coast Guard boats were also on hand to make sure boaters weren’t in harms way. Officials said people using the river and paths in that area could see some delays during the work.

Tuesday morning, DJ’s Electrical of Battleground, Wash., was relying on boats to pull a small rope across the river. Once the rope is lifted into the air, a larger rope was to be hooked onto it and secured for the night.

The June 24 crash caused power outages in Kennewick and Pasco, but Benton PUD was able to reroute power and service was restored later in the afternoon of the crash.

The 1949 single-engine Cessna flown by Randy J. Peterson, 64, flew low over the cable bridge and then appeared to drop as it approached the power line crossing the river about 2:30 p.m., said those who saw the crash.

One wing of the plane hit and snapped the bottom line and the plane fell. It floated upside down in the river and was carried with the current beneath the cable bridge.

Boaters, jet skiers and a person who was on the shore went into the water and tried unsuccessfully to get Peterson and his passenger, Eric Wayne Houston, 50, out of the plane.

Later that afternoon, the plane was later lifted out of the water on the Pasco side with a Lampson crane and the bodies of the men were recovered from the plane.

The friends were from Sonoma, Calif., who had left the Napa River in California that morning en route to a float plane fly-in on Priest Lake, Idaho.

Columbia Basin Dive Rescue was in the Columbia River on Sunday to help federal investigators search for any aircraft debris remaining in the river.

Team members searched from the power line downstream to the railroad bridge, but did not disclose any findings. Their underwater imaging will be provided to investigators.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.

- Bob Brawdy, photo editor for the Tri-City Herald, contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 3:45 PM.