Two injured in Erie plane crash (Colorado)

Broomfield grandfather, grandson rushed to hospital

Two people — a grandfather and grandson — were injured Tuesday morning when the single-engine, fixed-wing plane they were flying crashed in a field just southwest of the Erie Airpark.

Paul Hinton, 68, of Broomfield, was piloting the plane, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

He sustained moderate injuries, officials said, while his grandson, 16-year-old Robin Hinton, also of Broomfield, sustained serious injuries.

They were both taken to Exempla Hospital in Lafayette by ambulance, officials said.

The two had just taken off from the airpark and were headed south when the pilot radioed that he was experiencing engine trouble, officials said.

The aircraft was a 2004 experimental-class, amateur-built plane that was painted to look like a vintage World War II aircraft. It is registered as a Flynn Van Munk model with a Fairchild engine.

According to federal aircraft records, the plane is registered to Paul Hinton.

Erie resident Wyatt Tackett, a paramedic in training, was among the first at the scene of the crash.

“I was driving by, and I saw them do a sharp turn,” Tackett said. “It dropped, and I knew something wasn’t right.”

According to Tackett, who has piloting experience, the plane “bobbed” over a self-storage facility near the field before going down.

He described the crash, which he witnessed from the road, as a violent cartwheel caused when one wing hit the ground and put the aircraft into a roll — tearing off both wings in the process.

“They went end over end,” Tackett said.

Tackett said he ran to the victims and helped pull them out of the tangled wreckage.

A passing private helicopter, piloted by a paramedic, landed in the area after the crash, officials said. The helicopter crew and Tackett provided aid until ambulances arrived.

“We threw a shirt over the grandfather’s head to stop the bleeding,” Tackett said. “He was a little panicked.”

Both victims were awake and talking after the accident, Tackett said.

“Those guys were pretty lucky,” he said.

According to Mountain View Fire Protection District spokesman Jesse Hodgson, reports came in about 10 a.m. that the aircraft was going down after suffering engine problems. The pilot radioed several “mayday” calls to the tower, he said.

The plane had just fueled up at the airpark, and about 25 gallons of fuel spilled at the crash scene. Hodgson said the spill was quickly contained, and no fires broke out.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, officials said.

http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/aug/05/two-injured-erie-plane-crash/

Fonte: Flight Safety Information 14/08/2008.