The flight instructor injured in last week's Dinsmore plane crash remained in critical condition on Tuesday after several surgeries over the last few days.
Randal Locke, who is a member of Lost Coast Aviators EAA1418 with pilot Dennis Lichty, said Lichty is on a respirator because of a swollen windpipe and bruised lungs, but that he is stable and conscious.
”He will recover,” Locke said. “UC Davis has been tremendous -- the best care.”
Lichty was airlifted to Redding before being transported to UC Davis Medical Center where he underwent ankle surgery over the weekend and facial surgery on Monday.
Lichty's condition changed from serious to critical between 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 4:45 p.m. Sunday, but UC Davis Medical Center public affairs spokesman Mims Mattair said he could not give specifics on when Lichty's condition changed or release the reason.
Humboldt County Airport Manager Jacqueline Hulsey commended the Caltrans workers who witnessed the crash and helped pull Lichty and student pilot Tyler P. Lewis from the plane before it caught fire.
”I'm very happy for the pilots that they were able to walk away from it,” Hulsey said.
Lewis, who owns the plane, said he and Lichty flew out of Garberville on Friday morning for navigation training and the flight became bumpy near Dinsmore as winds picked up.
Lewis asked Lichty to take over landing in the turbulence. As they approached the runway, a gust of wind pushed the plane off course. Lewis said Lichty punched the throttle to correct the plane's course, but it went vertical and stalled before bouncing back to the earth and coming to rest off the runway.
”It was pretty scary” Lewis said.
Lewis said he pretty much fell out of the plane once it came to rest.
”There wasn't much left on that side of the plane,” Lewis said.
Lewis credited Caltrans workers Dave Ackley and Dain Heartman for helping him and Lichty before fire consumed the wreckage. Lewis had minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
”It couldn't have come out any better -- being alive,” he said.
Lewis said he has been flying for a little over a year and bought the Cessna Model 172 E in October.
”I've been told that it hasn't sunk in yet,” Lewis said. “I plan to continue training at some point. It's something I've always wanted to do.”
Though the incident is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, Lewis said it was not a mechanical failure but an accident of circumstance. Locke said winds and landscape make it difficult to take off and land at Dinsmore's airport.
”You can get tremendous turbulence,” Locke said.
Locke described Lichty, a member of the Humboldt County Aviation Advisory Committee, as a “good man.”
”This man never scratched an airplane before this accident,” Locke said. “The aviation community in Southern Humboldt is behind Dennis Lichty.”
Source: http://www.times-standard.com
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 3879S Make/Model: C172 Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
Date: 02/03/2012 Time: 1830
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Serious Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: DINSMORE State: CA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, DINSMORE, CA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 2 Fat: 0 Ser: 1 Min: 1 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Training Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: OAKLAND, CA (WP27) Entry date: 02/06/2012
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