Hello all,

I'm not sure this the right spot but I wanted to share a story from this weekend. My fiance, 3mo. baby and I stopped to camp in Utah backcountry. Planned destination was Mineral Canyon and based on pireps here last week it sounded good. However, when we arrived the temps were showing 93 F and we decided to stop at Canyonlands and see if they would go down. While there (temps didn't go down) we were told about the bugs and such there (and Mexican Mountain - a possible alternative). So instead we went to Cedar Mountain and my little baby girl spent her first night camping there. Temps were great, bugs were few and only flies.

Next day we left - destination Bryce Canyon. However, we flew over Mexican Mountain to take a peak at the strip and we noticed something that looked a bit like a plane as we were approaching from the North. I was listening on 122.9 and called in that I was flying by. About the time we realized it was a plane a guy came on the radio and told us he had crashed (see story below). I asked if he was ok or if there were injuries. Other than pain in lower back (likely from hard impact) they were ok. There were two folks as you can see from the report. He did ask if I could come in and pick him up, but with 2 grownups, a baby and baggage I didn't think I wanted to risk it. From my avalanche training days we used to say risk a lot to save a lot. Both on the ground were safe, no life threatening injuries and plenty of food and water. So I decided against landing in which case I would have to leave my fiance and baby - not a good idea.

I called in a may-day on 121.5 and spoke immediately with an airliner who relayed message to ATC. Additionally, I called up Canyonlands and spoke with one of their jumper pilots who took the information to the airport. I circled back and check on the guys on the ground and asked for the 2nd time that they were ok and that I had made emergency contact - authorities notified etc. I circled higher again and spoke with Red Tail aviation and they were already in touch with dispatch at Green River. I provided coordinates for Mexican Mountain to them and when I was sure they had everything I could provide I circled back and spoke with the pilot on the ground and let him know that dispatch was notified with coordinates and all. He asked me to contact his wife and let her know he was ok but that his plane was not. We called her, left messages and texted.

After one more circling over Mexican Mountain and assuring for the 3rd time that they guys on the ground were ok, and that we had relayed the message to the wife, we departed and headed to Bryce Canyon.

Later in the day (when we arrived at Bryce) she texted back that she had received voice messages and texts and was on the way to Price, UT to pickup the men. Also, later on the pilot texted me and let me know they were picked up by helicopter an hour after we had relayed the emergency. So all in all a good outcome.

Some lessons and reminders:
>Continue to fly the plane - I had to keep reminding myself to check airspeed, AOA, engine and keep flying immediately after we realized what had happened because it sucks your attention away and adrenaline became abundant until we realize there was no critical emergency
> When in the back-country it's great to have coordinates handy for strips - when talking with the airliner on 121.5 I could only say Mexican Mountain, UT near Green River UT. At my feet I had Galen Hanselman's book which I later used to call in coordinates to Red Tail. I didn't think to create a waypoint on my FlyQEFB and read them off that until later.
> Neither the pilot on the ground or I really knew what the protocol for this was so we did the best we could. I think we did alright but I would welcome some thoughts on that.
> It's a bit hard to leave a site like that knowing there are folks on the ground that need help and not being 100% sure how soon someone would be there - however, it was good to know they had plenty of food and water and weren't bleeding, unconscious or with broken limbs
> Had it been more urgent I would have considered taking wife and baby to Green River and gone back for them. Or gone in and taken one-by-one out. However, it looked wet and I initially thought they may have landed long and cartwheeled after getting in mud - didn't want to risk it
> Again, risk a lot to save a lot, risk little to save little.


http://etv10news.com/small-plane-crash- ... o-gallery/

I think you did exactly the right thing. Keep your family safe but provide all the help you can. I would have done the same.

Well done, Stigmon! Sounds like you did everything right.

Stigmon,

It sounds like you did a good job to me. I am sure that the survivors were very happy to have you overhead. That would offer a huge amount of relief knowing that someone knew where they were and that they needed help.

I am just curious about a few things...

Did they have a PLB or were you their first point of contact to initiate a rescue after the crash?

It looks like they landed short on 29? Did they land in the overgrown overrun area of the runway or were they completely off the runway?

Do you know how long they were there before you happened upon them? We spent a couple of nights there last week and based on the traffic we observed(hardly any), it seems that they might have been there for a while if not for you.

Again, job well done.

Joe

Sounds like you did exactly right. Good job!

When I was a student on my short cross country out of Anchorage in January 1973, I was on my return leg north of Anchorage in the afternoon--I had flown to Skwentna as one of my waypoints. I saw an airplane down on a large field of snow--at that time of year, seeing airplanes on large fields of snow wasn't unusual. But I had the radio on 121.5, and I was getting a loud warble. It was interrupted by a voice, something like, "Cessna southbound near Beluga Mountain, do you read?" That was me! He told me that he'd broken a ski on landing, no other damage, but with -30F temps expected that night, he needed a rescue. So I called Anchorage Approach, told them where he was and that he was OK but still needed rescuing. I called him back to tell him I'd contacted Anchorage Approach.

Then back on the Anchorage Approach frequency, I heard Approach talking to one of the rescue squadron's helos, already launched and on the way. I've heard many emergency warbles since then and have participated in several air searches for the local Sheriff when I was still in Laramie. But that first experience still sticks in my mind as something "extra" that all pilots should do if called upon.

Cary

You did a good job, Stigmon. Even if you don't have the family on board, you want to get qualified EMTs in first, if possible. You nailed that one. We hauled our own in the First Cav because Dustoff often would not go into a hot LZs. Still, having the medic there before you start moving people around is best. Because of the nature of the landing and back complaints, your guys probably went out of backboards.

Adrenalin wears off after a bit. You kept it together and got busy with communications and organization until it wore off somewhat. While useful in fight and flight, it can complicate less dangerous situations.

Good job.

Joe,

Some of those questions came to my mind to. For example, why not contact 121.5..., he was on the radio with me. I don't think they had a PLB. I always carry a PLB with me unless I'm flying over city or suburbs only. I thought about that as I was leaving the area and I think if they had been critically injured but I was still uncertain about landing I would have turned it on and dropped it out the window.

I don't know when the accident occurred and it was only after leaving I thought that I should have asked when it happened. I assumed it was that morning as I flew by (but not over) the evening before and didn't hear anything then. Also, I figured had it happened the night before they would have had tents up / and a camp and there was nothing at the sites and they were hanging around the plane.

I'll also mention that I didn't feel like prying to much about what had happened. Maybe it's just me but I figured that the story would come out later and I could get the details then. However, time of accident would have made sense.

From the article though, they stalled and crashed short of runway 29. Probably came in a little slow / low and pulled up... That morning there was no wind at Cedar Mountain or around Mexican Mountain so canyon winds don't seem to have been a factor.

Stig

Nice work, Stigmon!

great way to handle that.....good job....

Good call, you made all the right judgements and decisions. Not putting yourself, or your family in jeopardy and rendering effective help. Text book example of the right thing to do. Lots to learn here by your example.

I think you did great!

Similar incident but with injuries. On Aug 8th two friends flying in a Trike west of Albuquerque that I was in radio contact with suddenly stopped transmitting. Another buddie of mine (we were both in Rans S7's) began a search having a pretty good idea where they might be. We both flew south for about 10 miles and luckily happened to fly right over them and although we would have had trouble seeing them one of them had a portable radio and was able to tell us that we were right over them. A rotar had pushed them down into some trees which hid them enough to make it almost impossible to see them. Pilot had severe chest injuries and was having trouble breathing and passenger suffered broken ankle and leg broken in 2 places. Not at all possible to land anywhere near them do to very rough terrain. I circled about 200 ft above and stayed in constant contact with them while the other Rans circled about 1,000 ft above so as to contact KAEG tower and request emergency aide. The crash site was at about 5,000 ft elev and the airport is at aprox 6,000 ft so the higher circling was necessary to communicate with the tower. My buddie had to return to the airport due to fuel but I was able to continue circling for an hour and twenty minutes until help ( 2 helicopters) was able to arrive. Had we not been on the scene the outcome could have possibly been disastrous. Both are doing well. And oh yeah, I'm now an expert at circles around a point. I never fly without a PLB.