Two pilots injured but alive after plane crashes just yards away from western Colorado home
DELTA, Colo. (KRDO) – The Delta County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) says two pilots walked away injured but alive after their plane crashed down into a ravine in north Delta on Sunday afternoon, coming down just yards away from a home.
DCSO said at around 4:14 p.m. on Nov. 2, county dispatch received a report of a small airplane that had crashed off Highway 92.
Multiple crews responded to the scene, where they were directed to a ravine north of a home, where they found a single-engine yellow bush plane resting on its nose against the ravine wall, just 100 yards from the home.
Inside the plane were two adults – a flight instructor and a student pilot, DCSO said. While one of the men was able to get himself out of the aircraft, the second was removed from the wreckage by nearby residents, who rushed to assist after the crash.
According to the sheriff's office, the men were identified as 44-year-old John England, a Montrose resident, and 57-year-old Cleve Williams, from Carbondale. Both England and Williams were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Their condition is currently unknown.
After speaking with witnesses at the scene, deputies determined that the plane had taken off from Blake Field in Delta before quickly beginning to experience mechanical issues.
DCSO said the pilots attempted to make an emergency landing in North Delta when the plane lost power and crashed into the ravine.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were notified and are now investigating the crash.
In a social media post, the sheriff's office thanked the residents who quickly called 911 to report the crash, and the Schaff family, who DCSO said was responsible for helping get the pilots out of the airplane before first responders arrived.
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