Any Landing You Can Walk/Crawl Away From...

Three Colorado residents vacationing in Naples, FL are being called very lucky after the Cessna 177B Cardinal in which they were flying apparently ran out of fuel, and came to rest in a tree, 40 feet above the ground, near Quincy Municipal Airport (2J9).

A man and woman were stuck in the cabin. They were rescued by a fire department ladder truck. They were described as conscious and alert, and taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Another man, apparently the pilot, was thrown four stories to the ground in the impact. Miraculously, he was found crawling for help near a highway in the area, complaining of, "a busted knee."

"I don't know how he kept from breaking every bone in his body," witness Gary Force told The Tallahassee Democrat.

None of the plane's occupants were immediately identified.

And so, a happy ending... and a reminder for firefighters. Answering those calls to rescue cats stuck up in trees may actually be scenario-based training in disguise.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 49AF        Make/Model: C177      Description: 177, Cardinal
  Date: 02/27/2008     Time: 1715

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: QUINCY   State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A TREE UNDER UNKOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, NEAR QUINCY, FL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   3     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 1753Z WIND330014 VIS10 CLR 09/-8 A3011

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: ORLANDO, FL  (SO15)                   Entry date: 02/28/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov