Pilot, Pregnant Wife And Young Nephews Survive Plane Crash In Wilton
WILTON (CBS13) — Thursday's plane crash is looking like more of a miracle in Wilton as CBS13 has learned four family members, including a pregnant woman, fought to save each other.
It was a flight we're told lasted less than a minute before the plane plummeted to the ground landing on the front lawn of a Wilton home.
We're now learning more about the people inside that plane before it exploded into a ball of fire. CBS13 talked with family members who confirmed the pilot is Oren Breedlove, who was flying with his pregnant wife and their two young nephews—cousins aged 13 and 17.
One family member said one of the boys even jumped over the flames to save his cousin. Family members also said a dog onboard didn't survive.
"I don't know if you can call it a miracle, but it goes to the testament to the strength of this thing," Alan Casner said of the plane.
Casner, of Auburn, owns a plane just like the one that crashed. He describes the AN2 aircraft as being built like a tank.
"It's very heavy duty. If you think about the fact that those four people got out of that airplane on fire tells you to the strength and durability of this thing because how many airplane wrecks have you seen where people walk away like that?" Casner told CBS13.
That heavy-duty plane is not all that saved Breedlove and his family members.
"The plane hit the ground. I hit the side of the road and grabbed my fire extinguisher out of my truck and did what I did," said Steve Scharf.
Scharf saw the whole thing, jumped in and helped pull everyone out of the wreckage just moments before the plane went up in flames.
"I didn't even think about all that stuff in the moment. I just wanted to make sure those people got out safely and I did the best that I could to make sure that happened," said Scharf.
We're told Breedlove is DAR certified which makes him the one who determines, on behalf of the FAA, who is eligible to fly.
The FAA is now investigating, but it could be weeks before we know exactly what caused the plane to go down.
