- Cirrus SR22’s engine failed minutes into the flight from Whitehorn to Santa Rosa
- On board were pilot Artem Konokuk, 38, his partner and their daughter, two
- They miraculously escaped with only cuts and bruises after the parachute deployed
A Nevada couple and their two-year-old daughter miraculously survived a horror plane crash by deploying a parachute from the plane over California.
The young family escaped with only cuts and bruises after their Cirrus lost power just five minutes into their flight from Shelter Cove in Whitethorn.
On board were pilot Artem Kononuk with his 38-year-old partner and their two-year-old daughter, who has not been named.
The businessman from Reno, Nevada, realized that the 20-year-old plane did not have the altitude to fly over the hills and pulled the handle of the built-in parachute.
A family of three aboard this Cirrus SR22 light aircraft escaped with cuts and bruises
The four-seater plane came to rest in a tree before crashing upside down to Earth
The frame of the light aircraft was torn open by the impact despite the parachute
“These are usually worst-case scenarios,” said Quincy Cromer with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
“The fact that they only had minor scratches and abrasions is a miracle.”
The young family was on a 170-mile trip up the coast to Santa Rosa, where they own a home, when the only engine failed at 1:15 p.m. Friday.
“The pilot began to investigate why the aircraft was losing engine power, but noticed the aircraft’s altitude was too low to recover,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
‘At this point the pilot deployed the aircraft’s Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), slowing the aircraft’s descent.
“The parachute carried the aircraft until it eventually crashed into trees in a heavily wooded area of Yellow Road in Whitethorn.”
However, the family’s ordeal was far from over as the plane came to rest in the branches of a tree 100 feet above the forest floor.
Somehow they managed to scramble away and climb the tree without taking the tree with them The plane suddenly leveled with them.
Rescuers scrambling through the woods arrived to find the family nursing their injuries on the ground, and the 2,200-pound plane now crumpled and upside down on the ground next to them.
The tail was completely detached and the life-saving parachute was still in the canopy above.
Rescuers feared the worst as they made their way through the dense forest to reach the family
The life-saving parachute was still in the canopy when they arrived on scene
The aircraft manufacturer has been installing parachutes for its four-seat SR22s since 1998, successfully deploying them in 107 emergency situations worldwide between then and 2021.
Company co-founder Alan Klapmeier decided to develop full-chute parachutes after surviving a mid-air collision in 1985, and he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame a decade ago in recognition of his efforts.
“The co-ordinated response of our fellow emergency services and the quick action of witnesses played a vital role in locating and ensuring the safety of those involved in this incident, including extinguishing a small fire,” a spokesperson for the Shelter Cove Fire Department. .
‘This is extremely steep and difficult terrain. Even with the parachute, the parties involved were very fortunate to suffer only minor injuries.
‘We are grateful for the professionalism and dedication of everyone involved.’
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.