Identity Clark County president John McKibbin is feared dead after a small plane he was piloting crashed into the Columbia River near Astoria Wednesday night.
The search for the wreckage is ongoing after U.S. Coast Guard officials said on Thursday afternoon that an anomaly in the water has been deemed too small to match the missing aircraft. Authorities plan to send scuba divers into the water on Friday, depending on sonar findings.
The Federal Aviation Administration first reported the plane as missing around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It took off from Pearson Field in Vancouver with McKibbin and a passenger on board.
According to the Clatsop County Sheriff’s office, McKibbin was flying a woman to the coast so that she could spread her husband’s ashes.
An experienced pilot and well-known member of the business community, McKibbin took the leadership position at Identity Clark County in 2014. Prior to that, he served three terms as a county commissioner and two terms in the Washington state House of Representatives. He also served as president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) for three years, beginning in 2003.
“There really is not a person or project in the community that John hasn’t influenced and or enhanced over his many years in public service,” said Carol Keljo, owner of Security Signs and a GVCC Board Member during McKibbin’s final year with the organization. “His legacy is larger than life itself. But, ironically, John was one of the most humble, down-to-earth people I have ever known. My heart breaks for him, his wonderful family and our close-knit business community. This loss is insurmountable.”
Active in the community, McKibbin was a staunch supporter of the Pearson Field Education Center, Leadership Clark County and several other organizations.
The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce has posted an article on their website reflecting on McKibbin’s legacy.
