Two Perish, One Injured When Plane Goes Down On Steep Rugged Hillside

A Civil Air Patrol search and rescue training flight over steep and rugged terrain ended in tragedy when the pilot and an aerial photographer were fatally injured and the copilot was severely injured.

Susan Wolber, a well-known and beloved pilot based at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland-Fort Collins, Colorado, was flying the Cessna 182 with copilot Randall Settergren and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten. About an hour into the flight while performing simulated search procedures the plane went down approximately 15 miles west of the airport near Palisade Mountain.

The plane impacted steep terrain in what had been a heavily wooded area that burned in a wildfire this past summer. Settergren was the sole survivor and he was taken by Colorado National Guard personnel to a nearby hospital with severe injuries.

It is not yet known what caused the accident, but the FlightRadar track showed the aircraft had performed a series of circular maneuvers and appeared to turn back to the east to return to the airport when the accident occurred. Several people in the area reported high winds at the time, which may have been a factor.

Susan was well-liked in the aviation community, especially in the northern Colorado area, and she loved to share her passion for flying to encourage young girls and women. She was a member of the Fort Collins-Loveland Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Angel Flight West, and the Civil Air Patrol. She also participated in the annual VFW Holiday airlift in conjunction with the Colorado Aviation Business Association, transporting food and toys to VFW posts around the state supporting veterans and their families.

FMI:  www.fnlpilots.org/