Someone had an accident at big creek this Sunday morning. Guy is alive, but I don't know any more details other than the airstrip is closed.

Sad to hear. Hope everyone is OK.

We landed at Big Creek around 9am, about 1/2 hour after the crash. It was a "Peterson Katmai 182" Red and white. It was in the trees about 200 yards short of runway 19. I was told it happened on approach to landing. Choppers arrived around 10am, after a crew of pilots got him on a back board and up to the strip. The 67 year old pilot was the only one on board. The choppers were gone and the crew back to the top of the strip around 10:30. Thank God there were lots of people to help. It was a steep hard climb back up to the strip. My hat is off to all those that jumped in a helped.

We flew out around 10:30 along with about 5 other planes.

Prayers for a full recovery and for the family members



Alan

We tried to get in, and while on downwind they told us about the crash and to land elsewhere. This was before the choppers. I'm guessing the circled area is it, based on your description. I never noticed it until I looked back at the airstrip photos. This is heavily zoomed in from an entire airstrip photo, so its kind of blurry.

From what's described by others, my guess is the low stall speed of this particular aircraft helped substantially with suitability. In fact, the Peterson kit may have saved his life...

If that plane has the landis big wheel kit, it might be the same guy that caught some attention at St. Anthony a week or 10 days ago. What a machine!

Sorry to hear about this. It's hard to tell from the photo but that crash site is on a steep bit of terrain. The first year I visited a Big Creek there was a crashed 182 in the rocks to the NE of the strip. Climbing around those rocks was some serious scrambling; they were big! I imagine the treed terrain over the edge down there is just as rocky, like 4-6' diameter boulders and talus.

That's the area. We landed around 9am behind another aircraft. No mention of the strip being closed. We wondered why the aircraft was parked at the end. Once at the breakfast, they told us that there was a plane down. One of our own noticed that the numbers of planes on the radio vs the number that landed ahead of him didn't match. That's when they listened to guard and heard a strong signal. Then they launched to find him.

We departed shortly after the helicopters departed. I'll see if any of my pics from lower turned out any better. Just glad they guy survived. When I flew jumpers for the USFS, a 182 went missing. It was weeks before the charred remains were found just short of the strip on centerline.

Hope he is doing well and recovers quickly.

An update on the pilot was posted on the Big Creek Lodge Idaho FaceBook page. I can't get it to copy to paste it here on my iPad. Broken leg, ribs, and internal bleeding, but expected to recover. They posted spme pics too. Cabin looks intact. The slow speed commented on above is probably why.

From the FB page:

This updates you on the pilot of the aircraft that crashed while maneuvering to land at Big Creek. The pilot/sole occupant from Portland, OR was airlifted to Boise after herculean efforts by multiple people to extract him and give initial first aid, then get him to the airstrip (steep terrain and trees made it impossible for a helicopter extraction). I am told the pilot will survive his injuries (internal bleeding, broken leg, multiple broken ribs among others). Thank you to many pilots who heeded our request to not land or depart while the rescue was going on. We wish it would have been a more enjoyable event for participants, but it it sure is a great thing he will survive.

Big Creek Lodge Idaho
Working on extracting the pilot





Big Creek Lodge Idaho
Steep terrain and heavy wooded conditions on the hogback made it very difficult to reach the plane and get the pilot on a backboard and carry him out.

Very familiar looking ship. Great that the pilot is expected to pull through.

Glad this one turned out okay. Nice work to those who helped.

And the news media found it now:

http://www.ktvb.com/news/Man-critically ... l?ref=next

The Valley County Sheriff's Office says Jay M inor, 71, was piloting a Cessna 182 when the crash happened at about 8:30 a.m.

Any word as to why. Any statement from pilot.

Tim

Hope he heals. I missed all the fun up there had to work.

Valley County has been the site of six aircraft crashes resulting in 9 deaths in the past year.

Something wrong with that county?

just happens to be where the majority of the strips are:) ...covers a big chunk of idaho, almost 4000 square miles.

Wow, glad he's alive! Praying for a full and fast recovery.

Crap, turns out I have met this fellow. He is based at my local airport and we had a nice discussion about his previous trip to Alaska with his family in his Katmai 182, very nice guy. He didn't seem 71 years old...younger if I recall. I had contacted him about doing a featured bushplane piece but that was prob 8 months ago.

Glad he survived. I hope he makes a swift recovery.

scottf wrote:just happens to be where the majority of the strips are:) ...covers a big chunk of idaho, almost 4000 square miles.

I know my sarcasm is aimed at the press

So sad, I flew over 5 min after it happened and my friend on the ground was the first to reach the plane. Good news is I talked to one of the other pilots in his group yesterday, and he said he broke his femur and ruptured a blood vessel in his stomach but he said he would be in stable condition once out of surgery. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

idair wrote:We tried to get in, and while on downwind they told us about the crash and to land elsewhere. This was before the choppers. I'm guessing the circled area is it, based on your description. I never noticed it until I looked back at the airstrip photos. This is heavily zoomed in from an entire airstrip photo, so its kind of blurry.

From what's described by others, my guess is the low stall speed of this particular aircraft helped substantially with suitability. In fact, the Peterson kit may have saved his life...

Were you the 172 in the orbit with the Maule and I?