Makes You Wonder What Second Prize Was

A teenager from Longmont (CO) got a lot more than he bargained for when he entered an essay contest in hopes of winning flight lessons. He got the flight alright -- including an unforeseen landing.

Benjamin Dotterweich wrote his essay at Silver Creek High School and became one of five students to win lessons from Air West Flight Center. The 17-year old student went up for his first flight Sunday with instructor Ross Sutcliffe.

After a flight above some low-lying clouds, authorities say Dotterweich and Sutcliffe descended near Lyons, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. That's when their Cessna 152 hit some trees and crashed in the Heil Ranch Open Space.

Neither the instructor nor his student were hurt in the incident. After both had climbed out of the wreckage, Sutcliffe called for help on his cell phone. But there was a problem. Neither knew exactly where they were. Rescuers found them a couple of hours later.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 48943    Make/Model: C152   Description: 152, A152, Aerobat
 Date: 11/14/2004   Time:  

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

LOCATION
 City: LYONS            State: CO  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 ACFT CLIPPED TREES AND CRASHED, LYONS, CO

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

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Training   Phase: Unknown   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: LYONS, CO          Dep Date:  Dep. Time:  
 Destination: LYONS, CO        Flt Plan: NONE     Wx Briefing: N
 Last Radio Cont: UNK
 Last Clearance: UNK

 FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03)          Entry date: 11/15/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov