After a deadly spate of private plane crashes over the holiday, one Colorado Springs couple is lucky their story ended differently.
At 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 7, the Civil Air Patrol’s National Radar Analysis Team received a distress call from a downed Cirrus SR22.
The pilot was forced to land the small plane north of Glenwood Springs near McGinnis Lake, for reasons currently unknown. At 11,700 ft elevation, the temperature was well below zero, recorded at -18° without windchill.
Thanks to a tip from another plane in the area, the CAP radar team was able to hone in on the aircraft’s coordinates within 10 minutes. The pair of passengers was rescued in less than two hours, a feat for any search and rescue team.
The passengers were transferred to Pioneers Medical Center to be treated for exposure to cold. Names of the two passengers involved and the reason behind the forced landing have not yet been released.
At least three fatal private plane crashes happened in the United States between Dec. 27-31. Between the three crashes in Ohio, Texas, and Tennessee, 12 people are presumed dead.
Stepping on a private plane is about 19 times more dangerous than getting into the family sedan," says Live Science contributor Stephanie Pappas.
While commercial flights in the U.S. have improved accident rates by 80 percent over the last decade, the rate of private plane accidents has been unwavering. Experts say the high crash rate in the private plane sector reflects a minimal amount of training and lack of safety features, such as a co-pilot and backup systems.
Certified flight instructor,
Brendan Quinn-Narkin, says there are a few tips private pilots can follow to ensure a safer flight. "Get a weather briefing before each flight, calculate your weight,
know your charts,
avoid the temptation to fly low, and make sure your radio communication skills are up to par," says Brendan. "A good pilot is always trying to learn more."
