WA PingI listened to this story on local radio on my way to work this AM. This girl is lucky in many ways; the ability to walk, the direction she chose, the strength to keep on, the weather and more.
Posted on 07/14/2015 8:21:56 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A 16-year-old girl survived a small-plane crash that killed her step-grandparents in the rugged mountains of north-central Washington state and then hiked through thick forest to safety in what a rescuer called a miracle.
Searchers still are looking for the wreckage, but Autumn Veatch says Leland and Sharon Bowman of Marion, Montana, died in Saturday's crash, according to Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers, who spoke with the girl.
"She said they were flying in the clouds, and in an instant, it opened up and there was the mountain, and they crashed into the trees," Rogers told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesda
(Excerpt) Read more at komonews.com ...
That girl is a sharp and tough cookie.
I can't understand how people get into such predicaments with all the available technology. An iPad with one of the aviation apps that has synthetic vision would have prevented this. Or a Garmin or other aviation handheld. The technology is out there. People just need to use it.
Unintended flight into IMC? Mechanical/instrument failure during IFR flight? It’s a miracle the girl survived.
That part of Washington is very rugged and remote. The crash must have happened within a few miles of Hwy 20, the only significant road in the area. If the girl had walked any other direction than she did, she would probably still be out there.
Reminds me of this story from a few months ago.
Disorientated girl, 7, knocks on stranger’s door and says she has been in a plane crash
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3243120/posts
If you look at the VFR sectional chart
http://skyvector.com/
for that area, you’ll see they needed to be at a minimum of 9,400 feet MSL. It’s possible the pilot didn’t adjust his altimeter for some time which might have lead to an incorrect reading.
We rock!
Hmmmm? Sounds like the pilot was not instrument rated.
WA PingI listened to this story on local radio on my way to work this AM. This girl is lucky in many ways; the ability to walk, the direction she chose, the strength to keep on, the weather and more.
Using a sectional map would have prevented this, they indicate what altitude is required to clear terrain. It is required to have a current sectional on board. If he was flying VFR he sould have not been in the clouds. And if he inadvertently flew into clouds a simple 180 turn gets him out. Bet also he was not communicating with Seattle center. Tragic, should never have happened.
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.
The will-to-live in the human animal never ceases to amaze me.
It is a rugged area. Once I was backpacking in the area and woke up to 6 inches of snow...in August!
I remember that very well. The story is so precious. Just thinking about how everything just so happened to be in order for this little girls’ safety, brings a warm feeling.
Perhaps you meant “disoriented”.
Seeing a mountain goat in the clouds is never a good thing.
And an ipad with synthetic vision is honestly cheap. Sad.
If you’ve been to that area you know it as the Alps of the US...if the driver drove 30 miles to the Mazama Store she must have come out somewhere southwest of Rainy Pass and that is a very densely forested area
The problem with a VFR chart is that it doesn't give you your present position. If you're off course you could think that you have enough altitude to clear any obstructions. With even an iPad you would know exactly where you're at and with synthetic vision you'd know if you have enough altitude.
I see the same thing with my Jeep club. People with charts debate where the group is at. With my iPad and topo app I know exactly where we're at.
Which topo app do you use?
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