Plane Clipped Trees During Emergency Landing

Two pilots were injured when their vintage transport plane went down near Erie, CO on Thursday.

Pilot Stanley Peterson, 64 and co-pilot as David Gianakos, 52, did not appear to have life-threatening injuries, according to Weld County sheriff's spokeswoman Margie Martinez.

Witnesses told investigators the 1951 Beech C-45H appeared to be having engine trouble. The pilots may have been attempting an emergency landing when it clipped some trees before impacted the ground, slid about 100 yards, crossed a road and knocked over a power pole before catching fire, Martinez told the Associated Press.

The aircraft is owned by the Commemorative Air Force's American Airpower Flying Museum in Midland, TX.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 9562Z        Make/Model: BE18      Description: 1951 BEECH C-45H
  Date: 07/19/2007     Time: 1513

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: ERIE   State: CO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCAFT CLIPPED TREES WITH WINGS AND LANDING GEAR, HIT A POLE, CRASHED INTO
  A FIELD AND CAUGHT FIRE, NORTH OF ERIE, CO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   2
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: SPECI 1540 07003 10 SCT014 BKN026 OVC032 22/17 A3025

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO  (NM03)                    Entry date: 07/20/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.airpowermuseum.org