Richland man crashes stolen airplane after flying across the Olympic Peninsula

A Richland man remains in critical condition after he allegedly stole a plane in Jefferson County and crashed it late Tuesday.

Jefferson County sheriff’s investigators believe Richard Jordal, 59, was at the airport in Port Townsend on Tuesday asking to rent a plane, according to a Facebook post. He was turned away when he couldn’t come up with a pilot’s license or insurance.

Shortly after that report, a Cessna 150 was reported stolen from the airport.

The Port Townsend Leader said security video from the airport showed a suspect breaking into an office and stealing a log book and keys.

Police used GPS to track the plane, which briefly landed at the Bremerton airport before it continued west, said the newspaper.

Officials lost track of the plane about 20 miles north of Hoquiam.

A witness spotted a plane crash around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near La Push, a village on the Olympic Peninsula about 100 miles from where the plane was initially stolen. A Navy helicopter crew spotted the downed plane Wednesday morning.

Jordal was found in in the wreckage in critical condition and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff’s officials said he only has a student license for flying planes.

According to public records, he owned a small single-engine plane, a Mooney M20-G, and was involved in a minor crash on July 14 around 7 p.m. when he was landing without the landing gear in place.

This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 10:42 AM.