A family from Nevada survived a crash landing after their single-engine 2004 Cirrus SR22 aircraft lost power in the mountainous area of Whitehorn, California.
The pilot, identified as Artem Kononuk, 38, was flying with his partner and their two-year old daughter.
According to the Mendocino Sheriff’s Office, the single-engine aircraft lost power five minutes after takeoff. Kononuk made attempts to troubleshoot, but soon noticed that the plane’s altitude was too low for recovery.
The quick-thinking pilot then deployed the aircraft’s Cirrus Airframe Parachute S ystem (CAPS), which slowed their descent. The parachute carried the entire aircraft before it ultimately crashed into trees in a heavily wooded area of Yellow Road in Whitethorn, California.
The sheriff’s office said that all three family members were able to escape the crash with just minor injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were soon notified by the sheriff’s office to begin conducting an investigation.
