On Thursday, March 13, 2008 several members of the Holler Crawlers Off-Road Club were on WTOP doing some trail clean up & riding in general. It was the warmest day that we had seen so far this year. The temperature got up into the 70's and it was just too nice of a day to stay indoors.
7 members of the club had split up into two different groups. Two members (David S.& Brandon) were on one side picking up more trash to clean up the park while the other 5 members (Terry, Pam, David M, Jim & Dianne) took off to explore trails to see what they could find. At a little after 3 o'clock pm two of the group (Terry & Pam) had to leave. The other 3 members (David M., Jim & Dianne) decided to continue on with the ride and head over to the other side of the park to the "mud bowl". We hadn't gone very far when we came to a crest of one of the fields. We noticed a small single engine aircraft that at first we thought was going to land. Now there is NO landing strip on the land we are riding! We stopped and actually watched what the pilot was doing. We saw the plane almost touch ground, then rise then bank to the right then nosedive to the ground!
David M. yelled to call 911, then took off toward the area where the plane may have landed. Jim stopped for a moment to hand me his phone then left, while I called 911 to report the accident. I know now that I should have kept more cool and calm while on the phone with the 911 operator, but it is a miracle that she understood a single word that I was saying.
While on his way to the site Jim passed a young man and told him that a plane has crashed in the direction that he had just came from! He, Tyler, had no idea of what had happened because of the noise from his ATV and the fact that it was behind him.
David M, Jim & Tyler were the first ones at the crash site. The pilot, Mr. Hurley, was inside the wreckage still strapped in the seat with the plane laying on it's top. I dropped off my First Aid bag then drove on down to the intersection of 1344 to meet rescue personal to lead them directly to the site.
In the mean time on the other side of the park, David S & Brandon had heard/seen what had happened and arrived at the scene to give assistance shortly after the first 3 were there. Tyler called back to 911 for further instructions. Like I said, the plane was on it's top and Mr. Hurley was still inside. He was having trouble breathing and was bleeding from cuts and they had noticed that one of the fuel tanks had busted and was leaking fuel! They instructed the group to cut him loose and get him (Mr. Hurley) out of the cockpit. It took the efforts of all the men to get him out. They tended his cut on his head and got the bleeding stopped. Mr. Hurley at this point was breathing better and was awake and talking to the group.
They had just gotten him out when the first of the rescue units arrived on scene. It was at that point that the men backed off to let the rescue team tend to his injuries. The Rescue Squad called for a helicopter to come to the site to transport Mr. Hurley out of the area. More rescue personnel were arriving on scene along with Kentucky State Police and others in just a very few minutes.
I think that I can safely say that had it not been for the actions of the Holler Crawlers that the outcome would be much different than what it is today. Mr. Hurley was flown to UT Knoxville and last report (Saturday) is alive and recovering from his injuries.
It took the entire group acting as one to get the job done and quickly. My hat's off to you gentlemen! You have proven that you are caring human beings in a world that today is filled with so many other stories of people that would have turned away and done nothing. You ALL are heroes and I'm proud to call you my friends, my husband and co-club members!
Hers is the link to the Television station that was there that day to do a story on the crash. WYMT Newscast - Airplane Crash
Again, Job WELL DONE guys! I'm so proud of you!
