Debbie Reasoner

Deborah Reasoner looks at an X-Ray image of her upper right arm, which shows the steel plate and screws that now hold the bone together. The fracture was one of many injuries she sustained as a passenger in Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer’s plane when it crash landed in 2019.

Newly released documents show the Federal Aviation Administration found Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer was “careless and reckless” and committed seven violations of air-safety regulations when he took two people on a whale-watching flight in 2019, then crash-landed on the beach, seriously injuring one passenger.

That passenger, Deborah Reasoner, 62, of Molalla, said in a recent interview that she met Sawyer through a friend the day before Sawyer took her and her then-7-year-old son — her biological grandson, Jase, whom she adopted — on a sightseeing flight. She spent 17 days in a Portland trauma unit after the plane crashed on the beach near the north jetty of Yaquina Bay in Newport.


(3) comments

fransitachica

Thank you for investigating and sharing this! I have often wondered since it happened how Deborah's healing was progressing. . .sounds like whoever originally reported 'minor injuries' was grossly mistaken! Also wondered why Dean Sawyer didn't outright lose his pilot license?? Disgraceful and willful negligence deserves more than a suspension of a license that he has total disregard for~ Since he repeatedly chose blatant and illicit decisions in his personal life, how can we as a community trust that he is choosing any better for us?

Plane Crash Survivor

Almost 2 yrs after the Plane Crash and the truth is finally revealed. Thank you for letting my voice be heard. Although the physical injuries will always remain; It is my hope that my child and I can begin to heal emotionally

Plane Crash Survivor

Thank you all for you concern and well wishes. I have been asked for my contact info. I can be reached at director@westcoastphlebotomy.com

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Latest E-Edition