Nevada man dies when private plane crashes near Cape Blanco

Oregon State Police say a pilot was killed Friday after his plane crashed into a beach near Cape Blanco on the Oregon Coast.

He's been identified as 80-year-old Raymond J Wulfenstein of Pahrump, Nevada.

Police say Wulfenstein radioed FAA air controllers around 11:50 a.m. and said that he was losing sight in one of his eyes and needed to land his plane.

That's the last time anyone heard from him.

A USCG helicopter crew overheard the distress call and headed to the area to search for the plane.

Around 1 p.m., the helicopter crew found the crashed airplane on the beach near the mouth of the Elk River. The crew landed and checked on Wulfenstein, who had been ejected during the crash and died at the scene.

The Curry County Sheriff's Office and OSP responded to the scene. They say it's unknown at this time if Wulfenstein was attempting a beach landing, but that his 1980 Piper Dakota violently collided with the sand.

The plane was totaled following the crash and was later removed and taken offsite for NTSB investigators.