Fatal Plane Crash in Remote Lake County (UPDATED)
Update: December 24, 2025 - 8:42pm
Deceased pilot identified in Lake County plane crash
Image: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has released updated information regarding the fatal single-engine aircraft crash that occurred earlier this week in a remote area south of Silver Lake and west of Summer Lake near Pole Butte.
Authorities have identified the deceased pilot as Jeffry Scott Gorman, 66. According to investigators, Gorman was traveling from Susanville, California, to Salem, Oregon at the time of the crash. Next of kin has been notified.
Officials confirmed Gorman was the sole occupant of the aircraft. A dog that was also on board initially survived the crash but was later humanely euthanized due to the severity of its injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office continues to assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the investigation. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and the investigation remains in its early stages.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Original Article: December 23, 2025 - 4:20pm
Single-engine aircraft located south of Silver Lake; pilot pronounced dead, dog survives
SILVER LAKE, Ore. — Authorities are investigating a fatal single-engine aircraft crash that occurred Tuesday morning in a remote area of Lake County, according to preliminary information provided through interagency coordination.
At approximately 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, a distress signal from a single-engine aircraft was received by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Around the same time, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office received an automated iPhone crash-detection alert believed to be associated with the same incident.
The aircraft was later located in a rugged area south of Silver Lake and west of Summer Lake, near Pole Butte. Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Lake County Search and Rescue, Oregon State Police, Silver Lake EMS and Fire, Christmas Valley Fire, the Oregon State Fire Marshal, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, Klamath County Search and Rescue, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Responders located a single-occupant aircraft at the crash site. The sole occupant was pronounced deceased at the scene. Authorities also confirmed that a dog traveling aboard the aircraft survived the crash.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration as the investigation continues. Officials emphasized that the investigation remains in its early stages.
The identity of the deceased has not been released pending notification of next of kin. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Authorities said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
