- Lake County News reports
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Three injured in Friday plane crash
On Friday at 1:15 p.m. Mendocino County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a possible airplane crash in the area of Usal Road in Whitethorn.
Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, Southern Humboldt Tech Rescue, and members of the Whale Gulch, Shelter Cove and Whitethorn Fire Departments responded to assist.
Upon locating the crash site, the three occupants from the airplane were found to have only suffered minor cuts and scratches. The three occupants of the airplane were identified as a 38-year-old male, 38-year-old female and 2-year-old female, all from Santa Rosa.
During the investigation, sheriff's deputies learned the airplane's engine lost power about five minutes after taking off. The pilot began to troubleshoot why the airplane lost engine power, but had noticed the plane's altitude was too low for recovery.
At that point, the pilot deployed the airplane's Cirrus Airframe Parachute System which slowed the airplane's descent. The parachute carried the airplane until it ultimately crashed into trees in a heavily wooded area of Yellow Road in Whitethorn.
Deputies initiated the aircraft accident protocols and contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, who have the primary responsibility for investigating accidents involving civilian aircrafts.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, Southern Humboldt Tech Rescue, and members of the Whale Gulch, Shelter Cover and Whitethorn Fire Departments who quickly responded to assist with this incident.