EL RENO, Okla. -- The pilot in a deadly plane crash in El Reno on Wednesday evening has been identified.
The pilot was identified as Andy Deterding, 57, of Pine Creek.
Deterding's plane crashed into a creek, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says, about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City.
The crash occurred near Memorial and Manning Roads and investigators are somewhat baffled about the circumstances. The trooper on the scene, Matt Conway, was shocked that this could have happened to this crop duster pilot, who performed this task almost daily.
Trooper Conway said the pilot was spraying weed killer on the surrounding fields when the plane inexplicably ran into a communications tower and crashed into the creek bed. Trooper Conway said only a few people do this service of crop dusting in the area.
The OHP says the man was flying in a single fixed-wing plane when, for a reason still yet to be determined, lost control and hit the cell tower.
“He was flying and making a turn I believe, and struck the guide wire for the cell tower behind us,” Trooper Conway said.
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