Oregon State Police, Oregon
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 22, 1948
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 4 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: September 22, 1948
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant Earl Burtch was killed in an airplane crash when the Bellanca monoplane he was piloting struck a mountain near Coffee Creek in Douglas County.
He was returning to Medford after making a trip to Roseburg to install and repair several radios for the Oregon State Police. During his return trip he encountered clouds that closed in on him. One of the wings of his plane struck a mountain, causing it to break off. The plane nosedived into a pasture near Coffee Creek, killing him on impact.
Sergeant Burtch had served with the Oregon State Police for 16 months. He was survived by his wife and 5-year-old son.