Man From Richland Who Stole Airplane Dies From Crash Injuries

You may recall back around August 18th hearing about the 59-year-old man from Richland who stole a Cessna 150 single engine aircraft from the Jefferson County airport (Port Townsend) and flew it about 100 miles before crashing in the woods near LaPush.   It's about 20 miles north of Hoquiam, WA

Richard R. Jordal, according to sources, died at Harborview Medical Center from injuries sustained when the plane slammed down into trees in the woods.  It crashed in the evening or nighttime hours, but was not found until the next day by a Navy Search and Rescue chopper. A resident who lives near LaPush had reported seeing and hearing what they thought was a plane low over the trees and a crash, but it could not be located in the dark.

UW Medical and Harborview officials say Jordal died August 28th.

Jordal tried to rent a plane at the airport but was denied because he didn't have insurance and the proper credentials. Then later in the evening the owner of the stolen plane reported a GPS tracker showed his aircraft was airborne. After traveling about 100 miles it disappeared.  Later, surveillance images from the airport showed Jordal breaking in and stealing a flight plan and some other items before taking the plane.

He was apparently trapped in the wreckage for hours before the Navy chopper found him. He was airlifted to Harborview.

According to the Port Townsend Ledger news source (Facebook) Jordal was facing a variety of local charges here ranging from harassment, second degree burglary in Franklin and Yakima Counties, and the FAA was investigating him after a rough hazardous landing recently at the Richland Airport.

He had also apparently been banned in 2017 from the Port Townsend airfield for outbursts and aggressive threatening behavior towards staff and tenants there.