A small plane crashed and caught fire near the Sisters Eagle Airport on Sunday morning. (Submitted photo/Deschutes County Sheriff's Office)

Three people suffered minor injuries Sunday in a small plane crash that happened shortly after takeoff from the Sisters Eagle Airport, with everyone aboard escaping the aircraft before it became engulfed in flames.

The crash happened at around 11 a.m. in the Indian Ford Meadows community. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jason Carr said that the 2011 fixed-wing, single-engine Cessna went down along the easement just past the runway before reaching any homes.

Carr identified the three people aboard the plane as pilot Christoper Tyler Lehman and passengers Max Francious Boutemy and Jacquline Lauren Wiles. All three were taken to St. Charles Bend for evaluation and treatment of minor burns, but everyone involved was able to walk away from the crash, Carr said.

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on the scene first and assisted the occupants while firefighters were en route. Crews from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, Cloverdale Fire District and the U.S. Forest Service were able to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby trees and homes.

“This was a textbook example of interagency partnership,” said Carr. “Our deputies, local fire districts, and the U.S. Forest Service all worked together seamlessly to protect lives and keep the situation from escalating. We’re grateful everyone walked away safely.”

The cause of the crash is still unknown and will not be released until the Federal Aviation Administration completes its investigation of the crash. Carr said the plane was flying from Aurora, Oregon and that those aboard are not local to Deschutes County.

There have been multiple recent plane crashes in the region.

In May, James Scheller of Powell Butte was piloting a two-seater 2022 DB Aerocopter AK1-3 helicopter when it crashed in an open field near the Crook County Landfill. Scheller was killed and the passenger, Dan Wackerman, was ejected from the helicopter and died. A GoFundMe started by Wackerman’s wife to pay for medical expenses is still active, with $18,000 raised towards the $100,000 goal.

In March 2024, a plane crashed near Madras killing an Idaho couple. According to a report from The Bulletin, the Piper PA-31 spiraled out of control at more than than 13,000 feet, killing David and Venita Hagerty in the crash.