'It's a miracle': Teen girl survives plane crash, hikes out

KOMO ^ | Martha Bellisle

[AlaskaErik]

Which topo app do you use?

Gaia. $19.95 and I can use it anywhere in the country.

[TruthWillWin]

I use Garmin Pilot with my andriod tablet, connects via bluetooth to a wireless gps that sits on the dash. Also have a garmin 440 in the plane. Hard for me to understand someone going cross country without some type of avionics indicating location? But even with just a sectional map and a general idea of where you are all that is needed is a glance at the max alt of terrain indicated in every grid. I still can remember the 5 C’s, things necessary to do if lost. Climb is one of the C’s, communicate is another. The pilot of that plane almost certainly did neither.

[roamer_1]

I;ve hiked through north central WA state. Real thick forest is an understatement and a first time amateur finding an opening trail there is indeed a miracle.

I'd reckon she is no amateur - If she lives in Marion, MT, chances are she's a mountain gal, and can make her way in the woods alright... Not to diminish her success, but if she lives up there, chances are pretty good that she's been in the woods her whole life. Marion is just west of me here in Kalispell, and is definitely in the sticks.