Report: Plane Crash Happened During Stall Recovery
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A preliminary report shows that the small plane crash in a reservoir in Larimer County last month happened while the pilot was receiving instruction on how to recover from a stall.
Patrick Blankemeier, 58, from Arvada and James Griffith, 23, from Denver were submerged in the water for 50 minutes before they were pulled out. They did not survive.
Around 7:45 a.m. Feb. 27, the single engine Cessna with the two men on board plunged into the icy water of the Culver Reservoir.
According to the preliminary report by the NTSB, Griffith, the pilot, was receiving safety instructions on how to recover from a stall when the plane went down.
Crews with Berthoud Fire and Loveland Fire and Rescue were first on the scene. Less than an hour later, divers pulled the men out. Blankemeier and Griffith were rushed to the hospital but it was too late.
Culver Reservoir is located north of Longmont and west of Berthoud.
The plane was registered to McAir Aviation out of Broomfield.