Lucky Pilot Walks Away From Plane Crash West of Montrose

A western Colorado pilot is alive and well after his plane lost power and went down in a remote area west of Montrose.

Pilot Declares An Emergency

According to the Montrose County Sheriff's Office, the pilot of the small plane, 63-year-old Randy Boykin, declared an emergency Sunday morning saying his plane was going down west of Montrose. The aircraft, a 2010 Zenith CH 750, ended up upside down in the snow in a remote area on the Uncompahgre Plateau. Boykin later told authorities his plane had a mechanical issue that caused him to crash after losing power.

Another pilot in a private aircraft heard the radio communication and flew to the area hoping to locate the downed plane. The wrecked plane was spotted and its rough coordinates were reported to authorities. The private pilot was able to make radio contact with Boykin, who was the only occupant of the downed plane.

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Rescue Efforts On the Ground and In the Air

Rescue crews from the Montrose County Sheriff's Office and Montrose County Sheriff's Posse and Montrose Fire Protection District responded with snowmobiles and a side-by-side with snow tracks, but Care Flight of the Rockies was called in because of the remoteness of the crash site. Care Flight was able to locate the plane and drop snowshoes down to the pilot, who was then able to walk out to meet the chopper.

A Good Outcome

Montrose County Sheriff's Office Commander Ty Cox said "It is incredible that the pilot only sustained minor injuries and we are extremely grateful for this outcome, as it could have been much worse. Mr. Boykin did an outstanding job attempting to land the plane in an area free of any trees or other hazards."

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.