Pilot killed in Everett, WA Paine Field plane crash identified
Family member identifies pilot killed in Paine Field crash
Days after a small plane went down after taking off from Everett's Paine Field, a family member and the Snohomish County Medical Examiner are identifying the pilot killed in the crash.
EVERETT, Wash. - The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man who died in a plane crash at Paine Field on Oct. 1.
The pilot was identified as 61-year-old Mark Stuart Richardson.
FOX 13 talked to a man who says he is Richardson's stepson, Hans Friese. He said Richardson's nickname was "Woody" and he was a well-known pilot and aviation business owner in Alaska.
What they're saying:
He says the tragedy has hit not only friends and family but the aviation community in Alaska as a whole.
"Always got to go with him to work every day. A lot of habits I have in my day-to-day life are because of him," Friese said.
He says his stepdad was never one to shy away from tackling a problem.
"Built a great relationship with us and showed us what it’s like to be a business owner and to sacrifice a lot for the community of Alaska. He was a great guy," Friese said.
Friese says he was a role model to him growing up and when he went away on trips or on business, he says Richardson always looked forward to getting home to his friends and family. He also loved to travel by plane.
"The only time he ever really smiled a lot was when he was in a plane flying," said Friese.
A Paine Field camera captures smoke emitting from a crash aircraft near the runway on Oct. 1, 2026. (Paine Field)
Dig deeper:
He says Richardson was an outstanding pilot, so when he learned about the crash from other family members, he was devastated and shocked.
"He’s flown for so long that finding it out was kind of a mystery," said Friese.
Hnas says his stepdad was an owner of Grant Aviation Services in Alaska, a company which he says serves as transportation service for many residents in rural Alaska.
"I spent a large amount of my life out in rural Alaska traveling, and Grant Aviation is like a taxi. If it’s not a dog sled, it’s going to be one of those planes," said Friese.
FOX 13 reached out to the company by phone for comment, and we were referred to the vice president of operations. We emailed him and are waiting to hear back.
What's next:
As the investigation continues, Hans says he's hoping to learn more about what happened leading up to the crash.
"Just would like to know what the FAA has to say about it," said Friese. "I know it takes a long time for any information like that to come out as they have to rebuild the whole thing and figure out what went wrong. So just waiting to find out more information about that."
FOX 13 also reached out to the FAA and the NTSB to see if there were any updates on the investigation. The FAA responded, referring us to the NTSB. We are waiting to hear back from the NTSB.
What caused the deadly plane crash at Paine Field?
An investigation is under after one person was killed in a small plane crash at Everett's Paine Field. FOX 13 reporter Alejandra Guzman visited the company that built the aircraft as investigators try to figure out what went wrong.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.