Plane crashes in Gallup
Pilot, young passenger avoid serious injury

Gallup Police and Fire Department members gather at the scene of a plane wreck near Allison Road Saturday. The plane was one of four plane participating the Rock View Fly In at the Gallup Airport. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Leslie Wood
For The Independent

GALLUP — A Corrales pilot and a 14-year-old passenger were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals Saturday afternoon after the single engine plane they were riding in crashed in a field between Interstate Highway 40 and Allison Road during a children’s event at the Gallup Municipal Airport.

Pilot Curtis Smith, a member of the Experimental Aviation Association, was taking part in the association’s Young Eagles program when the flight took an unexpected turn.

Smith’s aircraft reportedly experienced mechanical problems minutes into the flight from the Gallup Municipal Airport at about noon. Lt. Eric Garcia, of the New Mexico State Police, said Smith sent a distress signal to the nearby airport before he was forced to perform an emergency landing in the field just south of Interstate 40.

Charles “Chuck” Swanberg, an Albuquerque Experimental Aviation Association pilot who also participated in Saturday’s event, said he immediately hurried to the crash site when he heard news of the impromptu landing.

“I took off and went looking for him (Smith),” Swanberg said of his initial reaction.

He said he was relieved to learn Smith and his young passenger were unharmed. Swanberg said Smith told him the crash was caused by a phenomenon known as density altitude that renders an aircraft’s parts less efficient.

A witness allegedly saw the airplane rocking back and forth before it hit the ground.

Smith tried to avoid nearby houses and interstate traffic when he landed the aircraft in the field. First responders immediately pulled Smith and the 14-year-old girl from the wreckage to assess their injuries and they were taken to local hospitals for treatment of bumps and bruises.

Swanberg said he was impressed with how Smith handled the stressful situation.

“He did a very good job of putting the airplane down,” Swanberg said. “ ... He was trying to get back to the airport, but the phenomenon wasn’t going to let him.”

Garcia said officials from the FAA are expected to begin an inquiry into the circumstances that caused the crash.

When news of the accident surfaced, the Young Eagles event was canceled. About 50 children took part in the free flights before the cancellation was announced, Anne Long, one of the event’s organizers, said.

“I’m actually very, very happy with the turnout,” Long said. “ ... I hope this doesn’t discourage people because this is such a rare phenomenon.”

The event partners volunteer pilots with children, ages 8 to 17, for a tour of a single engine aircraft and a subsequent flight. The day was intended to introduce children to the world of aviation.