Five people are reported dead after an airplane crash Friday, February 24, 2023. The crash included a Care Flight airplane that landed in Stagecoach, Lyon County Nevada.
The service provider for the Care Flight, RESMA Health, confirmed the deaths. Including one pilot, nurse, paramedic, and both a patient and the patient’s family member around 11:15 p.m. At this news a statement on Facebook was announced, “We are heartbroken to report that we have now received confirmation from Central Lyon County Fire Department that none of the five people on board survived.”
The cause of the crash is still undiscovered and there are no suspected causes of the crash. Other than what others can account for as “turbulent weather.”
Former Flight Nurse Discovers the Crash
Eyewitness, Robin Hays shares the accounts of what she saw and heard just before reporting the events to 911.
The Friday night of the crash, the weather was less than optimal. With heavy snow already piling up outside her house she recognized the sound of a single-engine plane flying above her home just before crashing behind her property.
After years of working in the plane industry, Hays recognized the distinct sound of the plane’s engine sputtering before backfiring.
“I knew the plane was in trouble,” she said. Her house rattled as it flew over. “I knew it was going to crash. I was just hoping it wasn’t going to crash into my house.”
The Blistering Airplane Rescue Operation
In fact, Hays is not the only resident to hear the plane crashing in such close proximity. Several calls were made at the same time, describing similar accounts. The following rescue team located the crash in low visibility and surrounded by 6 inches of snow covering unpaved roads.
At the sight of emergency vehicles lining behind her property, another witness, Misty Gruenemay said the conditions outside were the worst she saw yet. “It was snowing and visibility was horrible. I don’t even understand why that plane was allowed to take off,” she states.
The Care Flight plane was identified as a Pilatus PC-12/45. While airplanes do transport patients in critical condition to hospitals faster, it is important for flight services to know how badly the weather will impact the plane.
Unlike on-road vehicles, airplanes and helicopters face more wind and frost. These conditions can damage or even drag down the wings of a plane. At the time of the flight, the winds reached 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Investigators have not confirmed if the weather is what led to the crash or if it was a pre-existing mechanical problem.
Written by Brielle R. Buford
Sources:
Reno Gazette-Journal: Care Flight plane crash kills 5 in Nevada desert: What we know
Kolotv: UPDATE: 5 killed in Care Flight plane crash identified
abc7 Chicago: 5 killed, including patient and medical personnel, in Care Flight plane crash: Nevada police
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of dwightghost‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Vasilyev Serge‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
