Student, Instructor Survive Plane Crash Near Lyons
Pilot Had Won Flying Lesson Through An Essay Conest
POSTED: 6:46 pm MST November 14, 2004
UPDATED: 7:00 pm MST November 14, 2004
LYONS, Colo. -- A student who won flying lessons in an essay contest and his instructor crashed a single-engine Cessna early Sunday morning.
Benjamin Dotterweich, of Longmont, and pilot Ross Sutcliff walked away from the crash, which occurred near Lyons in the Heil Ranch Open Space, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
Dotterweich had won the lessons from Air West Co. after entering a contest at Silver Creek High School in Longmont.
It was his first lesson Sunday.
Dotterweich told sheriff's investigators it began with them climbing, descending and turning. The aircraft then climbed above low-lying clouds.
When it descended back through the clouds, the plane clipped some trees and crashed into a large tree, the sheriff's office said.
The men called authorities with a cellular phone at 9:41 a.m., which dispatchers used to find the downed plane at 11:41 a.m., the sheriff's office said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.
Pilot Had Won Flying Lesson Through An Essay Conest
POSTED: 6:46 pm MST November 14, 2004
UPDATED: 7:00 pm MST November 14, 2004
LYONS, Colo. -- A student who won flying lessons in an essay contest and his instructor crashed a single-engine Cessna early Sunday morning.
Benjamin Dotterweich, of Longmont, and pilot Ross Sutcliff walked away from the crash, which occurred near Lyons in the Heil Ranch Open Space, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
Dotterweich had won the lessons from Air West Co. after entering a contest at Silver Creek High School in Longmont.
It was his first lesson Sunday.
Dotterweich told sheriff's investigators it began with them climbing, descending and turning. The aircraft then climbed above low-lying clouds.
When it descended back through the clouds, the plane clipped some trees and crashed into a large tree, the sheriff's office said.
The men called authorities with a cellular phone at 9:41 a.m., which dispatchers used to find the downed plane at 11:41 a.m., the sheriff's office said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.
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