Piper Cub Developed Engine Problems During Flight

The 78-year-old pilot of a Piper PA-18 Cub escaped injury when the plane developed engine problems during a flight in Idaho Monday and settled in the top of a 60-foot-tall giant white fir.

The pilot, who was not identified, took off from Challis and was intending to land at McCall Airport when the engine began to lose power, according to a report from the Idaho Statesman. The Valley County Sheriff's department said in a news release that it was notified at 8:19 p.m. of a SPOT locator beacon activation. At 8:42 p.m., it received notice of an emergency position radio beacon. Gregory also called 911 to report that he’d crashed into a tree.

The McCall Fire Department was dispatched to the area of Poorman Creek and Boulder Lake Road and got there just after 10 p.m.

First responders used snowmobiles to reach the accident scene. Two helicopters were also launched, but there were concerns that the rotorwash might dislodge the airplane from the top of the tree, so an experienced hazardous tree expert who works for the McCall fire department scaled the tree, secured the plane, and got the pilot into a safety harness so he could be lowered to the ground.

The plane will likely stay in the tree for a week or more before it can be extracted using helicopters. The public is being asked to avoid the area for safety reasons.

(Image provided by the Valley County, ID Sheriff's Department)

FMI: Source report