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Kenny Hoagland / AP
This photo provided by the Owyhee County Sheriff's office shows the site where a small plane crashed in southwest Idaho on Sunday.
Updated at 1 a.m. ET: BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho National Guard rescuers plucked a California fireman, his wife and their adult daughter from a snow-covered mountainside Sunday afternoon, more than 15 hours after the trio survived a nighttime plane crash onto a steep, forested slope in a remote part of the state.
Authorities said the group was flying in a Cessna 172 from California to Mountain Home, Idaho, when the plane went down at about 9 p.m. MDT Saturday (11 p.m. ET). One of the three used a cellphone just after midnight to report that they had survived the crash but had suffered head and back injuries.
A medical helicopter was the first to spot the wreckage Sunday morning, but white-out conditions didn't allow for an immediate rescue, said Col. Tim Marsano of the Idaho National Guard.
Officials said ground rescuers traveling through 6-foot snow drifts and on 60-degree slopes reached the crash site first. They wrapped the family members in blankets and built a fire until a military helicopter could lift them out with a hoist.
"It was inhospitable for a landing," Marsano said. "The use of the helicopter was indispensable for this type of rescue operation."
Kenny Hoagland / AP
Ground rescuers traveled through 6-foot snow drifts to reach the crash site.
The three were flown one at a time to a landing area about a half-mile from War Eagle Mountain in southwest Idaho's Owyhee County.
The first person came out about noon and the last at about 2 p.m., and each was transferred to a medical helicopter and flown to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise where they were listed in stable condition.
It's unclear what caused the Cessna to go down. Photos taken by rescuers showed significant damage, including a broken front windshield.
Authorities identified the trio as Brian Brown of Wilton, Calif., his wife Jayann Brown and their 26-year-old daughter Heather, the Idaho Statesman reported.
'Surprisingly good condition'
Brian Brown is a captain at the Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department in Elk Grove, Calif. He is also deputy chief of operation and training with the nearby volunteer Wilton Fire Protection District.
Owyhee County Sheriff Daryl Crandall told KTVB that the three relatives were "surprisingly good condition."
Wilton Fire Chief Tom Dark said the couple was flying with their youngest daughter to Mountain Home to visit their oldest daughter. He was relieved they were in stable condition.
"That was our first concern, how he and the family were doing," said Dark. "Knowing what a good pilot he is, something had to have happened."
Dark said it was probably an unusual experience for Brown, a firefighter for more than two decades, to be on the other end of a rescue.
"When the shoe is on the other foot it's kind of strange," he said.
The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
May God bless those rescuers, and I'm happy they all survived the ordeal.
It sure doesn't take long for you BuyBull people to come and climb onto the shoulders of stories like this and start yakking about your god-creatures. Maybe your cult god would have served them better if he had kept their plane from crashing... oh, was that suggestion too logical?
Frogmorton!
Believe in your cigarettes and I'll believe in my God.
I am so exstatic that this family is alive and doing well. When I received the news that he helicopter crew had spoted the wreakage this morning a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Yes, I was the dispatcher that took the call. I am so thankful for all the rescuers that came and helped us out. We are a small Sheriffs Office with a huge amount of area to cover. Owyhee County is the second largest county in the State of Idaho. We are small as an office but our hearts are as big as ever. Thank you to all those that assisted and thank you God for letting this family survive.
Thank you too, for your involvement in the rescue effort! I would say that captrick56 (post #3) is correct that they must have run out of fuel since there was no post-crash fire. I work in a hangar for general aviation aircraft like this and cringe everytime I see where an aircraft goes down. These folks are VERY lucky to survive a crash into a steep mountainside. If you ever read the monthly magazines mailed out by aircraft manufacturers (Piper, Cessna, Beech, Cirrus, etc.) you would see that small aircraft fall out of the sky all the time. Usually it's just a simple accident or misjudgment, but about 1 out of every 3 or 4 small plane wrecks results in the death of the pilot and passengers. It's a nice privelidge for those who can fly, but it is a demanding job that requires you to be very aware of a lot of information ALL OF THE TIME. And God's intervention every now & then helps too!
Many years ago I too, was a pilot who ran out of fuel. It is the most frightening silence one can imagine. Fortunately, I was alone so I only had to worry about myself. I landed the aircraft (a Cessna 152) in a tree on the North side of Indianapolis.
Shrop, thanks, it seems like you did your job well. I like a good-news story every once in a while on newsvine.
Planes fall out of the sky all the time...WFT are you talking about...there has never been any publications out by any manufacturer that stated that kind of B.S.
That being said...you quoted that you work in a hanger for a general aviation aircraft...what as a janitor???
Don't comment on things you don't understand ....small planes that crash rarely catch fire after a crash.
Mike - you are the one who looks like a fool because of the way you worded you criticism of GruntUltra. Does it make you feel more important to insult others?
And by flying person/ hour in all types, commercial is just about as deadly as single engine, single engine was even safer for a while!--but now the singles are not maintained and used as much and cause problems because of lacking experience!
Thank you for the role you played in saving the lives of this family -- God Bless.
Small plane crashes are typically more survivable than large ones, mainly because of the speeds involved. Small planes like these can fly at speeds as slow as about 40-45 mph, and if they were in a mountainous area, with winds frequently in the 20mph range, they could have had a ground speed as slow as 20 mph. Of course, it could have been as high as 60 mph too, but if it was an intentional emergency landing, be it no fuel or a mechanical failure, they are generally survivable. Crashing at speed, called a CFIT - Controlled Flight Into Terrain, the odds of survival start to decrease. So there are approximately 3-4 aircraft crashes per day that the NTSB investigates, and about 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 are fatalities. Here's the NTSB database:
So yes, there is a high percentage of fatal accidents compared to the number of accidents, but far, far fewer accidents than cars. The highest percentage of accidents are pilot error, including loss of fuel, and not mechanical failures.
I was especially glad as well knowing they were rescued. I am also familiar with the remote area and have had a few excursions hiking and camping out there. Thank you to all those who helped in this and prayers to the families.
Given the position of the prop, the fact that it's not bent and no fire, my guess is that they ran out of gas. I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.
How can a pilot be so irresponsible as to not plan ahead well enough to avoid running out of fuel?
Yes, if he ran out of gas FAA will give him a ticket!
UM Gator,
If you had read the article you would have noted that it stated, "It's unclear what caused the Cessna to go down." There was no mention of low fuel being a factor. In reality, the pilot did a remarkable job facilitating a well controlled crash landing on extremely difficult terrain. Cudos to the pilot in command
If you were pilots you would know the real problem here--landing in the dark, I hated to fly in the dark, single engine,because if it quits, you are in big trouble most of the time.
It's good to read a story with a happy ending.
"Any landing you can walk away from, is a good landing", someone once quoted in flying circles. Nice job of putting 'er down!! Looks like the "slope" helped to mush it down on the belly....... a reverse slope would have likely been fatal. A few treetops likely softened the blow.........hope everyone recovers well.
More completely "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, If you can re-use the plane its a great one." This one would qualify as good and with a huge helping of luck.
Yep. Where I trained in a 172 decades ago on an Air Force base, we had a lot of forest around us and very few roads (but no mountains). My instructor would always iterate that if you ever lose your engine and have to put it down in the woods, get it slowed up as much as possible with full flaps and "settle in" to the trees trying to avoid hitting a trunk directly. If I remember correctly, the stalling speed of a 172 is only about 44 knots (50mph) with full flaps, give or take depending on load.
However, regarding this crash, just because there is no fire doesn't mean that it was out of fuel. If the pilot followed emergency procedures and shut off the fuel valve and all electrical power, it likely would not catch on fire post-crash, even if the tanks got ruptured. There are many crashes even on Youtube video of small aircraft going in even when still producing power that don't catch fire.
Finally, this is mountain flying. Maybe the pilot got "boxed in" while flying between ridges and couldn't climb over the top of the next peak and didn't have enough room to do a 180 - that's how Steve Fossett got killed in his crash. This pilot also may have been slightly overloaded due to fuel or baggage or both (a plane can fly slightly overloaded so long as the load is balanced correctly and nothing goes wrong - but at higher altitudes that plays a bigger role). I'll be interested in reading the preliminary FAA/NTSB report on this.
I thought you said you trained on the plane 172 decades ago. I thought you must be really old. Not trying to nitpick, I just thought it was funny.
Okay how about: "Where I trained in a Cessna 172 some time ago...". Better? LOL.
Much better, I would give you gold star but I was forced to sell all my gold last week at the local pawn shop. :-)Sometimes losing a comma here or there changes the whole meaning. We type in a hurry and sometimes it is funny.
God has blessed them. Amen.
LOL...which god? Vishnu? Would it have still been a blessing if he had killed one of them? Or would a REAL blessing (capable of godliness) simply have been to let the plane continue working until they got to their destination?
What's the zip code at Whackadoo City?
372666
Captrick, it was more likely wind shear. My boss crashed near Estes state park in 2009 due to sever down drafts, that are common in the mountains. They had full tanks and no fire. He was surprised at how quickly the gas evaporated, and said he barely had time to collect some to start a fire.
They lived to see another day. I am happy for all. Fortunately no injuries sustained while executing the rescue as well. Job well done.
Cool.......
Thanks to the rescue team for their efforts. It is literally a miracle the family survived in the first place.
it is a miracle. to god be the glory>
I'm a pilot and 1st thing is, glad to hear they survived. 2nd, running out of fuel is the number 1 cause of general avaiation aircraft accidents(flying VFR into IFR conditions, #2) . 3rdly, I would hesitate to compliment the pilot, because why oh why in the heck did you let it run out of gas? Everytime I read about pilots pushing their planes to far, I cringe. There really is NO excuse for it.
Dude its $5.00 a gallon give them a break.haha
Where is it 5.00 a gal for avgas...I want to fuel up there
Obama's gas prices are the cause of the crash. :-)
He got his break. Their all alive. :o)
Wow, the 6 foot snow drifts in those pictures look very menacing. LOL
Wouldn't you rather land in a snowdrift than a fraser fir?
I really have to agree with Dalinski. I pushed the plane I put in a tree too far. The fuel tanks were practically bone-dry. It's still scary and highly educational.
I'd just like to think the people who helped save these lives, most of them paid for by tax dollars that are borrowed, are billed and pay the bill for there being saved.
How much does just one of these aircraft cost to fly an hour?
Our country has went off track in thinking everyone has a parachute with the Federal Government providing it on our granchildrens debt. Sadly we don't even bill the wealthy when they further burden the system like this.
I am glad they were found and are safe... great job putting it down on that steep slope, especially in the WX conditions we had here.
Weather and wind has been bad here...Low clouds, rain, and lots of wind (Boise area)
looking at the flight path, he passed Mountain Home by 150 miles, the props not bent= not running. 550 mile trip with north winds=fuel shortage. Navigation skills almost got them killed.
In a 172, I'm a severe clear flyer. I wouldn't have flown in those conditions. If you can afford to fly, you can also rent a car.
Stupid mountains, always getting in the way. This wouldn't have happened if the earth were flat.
There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots. If he gets back on that horse, this will be a very important educational experience for him.
As a licensed pilot, I took several hours of flight training out of Salida, Colorado, in mountain flying in a Cessna 172. I remember the instructor telling me that as a "flatlander" Hoosier, I should take care in mountain flying, or else "file my flight plan with the Bureau of Mines."
What's even more amazing is that they had cell phone coverage! On a mountain in Idaho! Wow.... Double lucky, a landing they all survived and the ability to call for help from such a remote area.
15 hours does not constitute a story of "survival".
15 days, maybe. 15 hours is a story about inconvenience.
jam, picky, picky, picky. They are alive.
living every day is a survival story.
It is all really just a good news piece for everyone. -- Even us who only comment.
jam3965-
Go live through an airplane crash, wait 15 hours for medical treatment, Then make that assinine statement!
Obviously Firefighers make way to much money in California. Planes are not cheap toys, owned or rented. The State workers and city workers salarys and pensions of 90% of their over pay ios killing CA. And they retire at 55. Screw that they need to work to 65 like the rest of us.
I didn't have to work until 65 before I retired. Some plan better than others (I didn't do the best planning job either). I wasn't planning on Obama. My dad always said it isn't what you make, it is what you do with the money that makes the difference.
IdiddntDoIT, As a retired firefighter and a licensed pilot, you can kiss my ass.
As much as you hate black people, the stock market has done well since Obama took office, so don't whine about Obama's effect on your investments. If you lost money investing in the market during the Obama years, then you've had all 8 fingers and both thumbs shoved up your nose.
It was the Dumbya Bush years where millions of people lost everything they had, thanks to that moronic Crawford F-stick.
Cheers!
It is strange how some i... like you brings up race every time. I would hate what Obama is doing to our country even if he had blonde hair and blue eyes. November 2012...END OF AN ERROR. Vote for the American this time.
Frog: there are six things that have gone up since Obama was elected: gas prices, food prices, inflation, the deficit, unemployment, households on food stamps. Those are all DIRECT results of Obama's policies. The stock market is largely independent of what the president does. Besides, it is evident the president who continues his on-the-job training knows very little about the business world in general.
Actually one other thing has gone up too, but it's a good thing for wise investors like myself that saw the Democrat train wreck coming after the Pelosicrats took over Congress from the 2006 mid-terms: gold.
And another thing" you liberal's race card has been cancelled. Nobody cares what you people think anymore about those who disagree with Obama's policies. Get over it and grow up. Being against America-destroying policies is NOT being a racist. Racism defined means that one believes his/her race is superior to that of others. That has nothing to do with Obama's America-wrecking policies. So once again you liberals fail and rape a word you don't even know the real meaning of.
Try not to be such a drama queen, mmkay you emotion-driven liberal?
Baloney. The Bush Recession was in full swing when he took office -- and morons expected Obama to stand below an avalanche and stop it when it was already at full tilt??
Nobody has that short of a memory, punkin! But, great attempt at a lie!
Nice reply from you too, Dasvet. Tell us all how you managed to fumble your investments so badly during the Obama years that you managed to lose money at a time when the stock market rose steadily for the past three years? Or, was that more hot air?
I didn't lose a lot, because I did not get into the derivative gambling that much. I only got an average of eight percent during the time you speak of. My point was that I was comparing the years of 15-25% average growth over the last thirteen years with that eight percent . But you and Obama would not know anything about investing, so maybe you just don't understand. Both of you know only about your monthly entitlement check, food,housing, subsidies paid for by others is your expertise.
Mike aka umgator, you are the most clueless moron here. That plane did not fall from the sky most planes do not unless it is a catastrophic failure. So I think you might have just once picked up the garbage at an airport and now think your an Aviation Expert. Then to other comments from Ididntdoit about being overpaid firefighter. I bet what you spend in alcohol and cigarettes and your other vices you i am sure you could learn to fly if your redneck ass first cousin you married will let you out of the trailer house in the mobile home court.
wow. that family must be pretty happy everyone came out alive. I wonder how rare it is to survive a plane crash much less one where the whole family survives. They are even luckier that they had cell coverage to be able to call for help.
oh, didn't you see? the jesus-myth saved them! LOL!!