Report: Inhofe’s son dies in plane crash

Perry Inhofe, one of Sen. James Inhofe’s (R-Okla.) sons, has died in a plane crash, according to an Oklahoma City TV station.

Perry Inhofe, 52, was on board a plane that crashed Sunday near Owasso, Okla., a source close to the senator told KOCO.

Highway patrol officers confirmed Sunday that one person died in the crash.

Calls and emails to Inhofe’s Washington congressional office were not immediately returned.

{mosads}According to KOCO report, the plane crashed around 4 p.m. on Sunday a few miles north of Tulsa International Airport. Just 15 minutes earlier, the plane’s pilot issued an alert requesting immediate help, KOCO reports. 

A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board on Monday would not confirm the identity of the pilot who was killed in the crash.

During a press conference near the site, spokesman Aaron Sauer said much of the aircraft was destroyed during a post-crash fire. He said the medical examiner is working with the family to confirm the pilot’s identity.

The Tulsa World newspaper reported Perry Inhofe had been associated with a company that purchased the plane that crashed. Records show the sale was linked to Perry Inhofe’s home and work addresses. 

Perry Inhofe was a licensed pilot and flight instructor, FAA records show, according to that report.

Inhofe’s son was also an orthopedic surgeon in Tulsa, KOCO’s report says. On the Central States Orthopedics website, it says Perry graduated from Duke University in 1984 with a degree in biomedical and electric engineering.

For medical school, Perry attended Washington University in St. Louis and graduated in 1988. 

Inhofe’s congressional website says the Oklahoma Republican has 20 children and grandchildren.  

— Mario Trujillo contributed.

— This story was updated at 6:27 p.m.