October 3, 2024 5:00 p.m. 

A Eugene man died in a plane crash on Thursday on the edge of Roseburg.

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office report said the accident happened while the pilot was attempting to land on the turf runway at George Felt Airport in the 400 block of Felt Street in Charter Oaks.

At about 11:30 a.m. dispatchers received calls from witnesses working at the private airfield known as Felt’s Field. The witnesses advised that the pilot was attempting to land the small, yellow, fixed-wing plane when the crash occurred. The plane was a single engine antique Piper aircraft.

The report said after running out of runway on the first attempt, the pilot circled around and attempted to land again, according to witnesses. The plane bounced off the ground, was launched back into the air and hit the top of a tree with the propeller before taking a nosedive to the ground.

Deputies responded with firefighters and emergency medical personnel from Central Douglas Fire and Rescue, and Umpqua Valley Ambulance.

The pilot, 65-year Steven Kretsinger, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified of the crash.

No further information was released by DCSO.