Edhat Staff
Update by the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office
7:46 p.m., June 12, 2017
A pilot is recovering from his injuries after the small plane he was flying in went down on Saturday, June 10, 2017, in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest near the Santa Barbara/Ventura County line. At approximately 2:28 p.m., the 31-year-old Korean pilot, who was flying solo, managed to call 911 from his cell phone to report that he had crashed. Ventura County Fire dispatchers through their conversation with the injured pilot were able to determine his GPS coordinates and pinpoint his location.
The Santa Barbara County Public Safety Dispatch Center was contacted and confirmed that the single-engine Piper Cherokee plane had departed from the Santa Barbara Airport approximately 20 minutes prior to notification of the crash. The aircraft was based out of San Diego. The Personnel from the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, Montecito Fire Protection District, and Ventura County Fire Department responded but because of the remote location and dense vegetation were not able to access the scene.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff/Fire Air Support Unit and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) team were deployed. The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team and Carpinteria Fire personnel were in the process of sending crews to hike down from Divide Peak and also to send an SBCSAR crew to hike up from Rincon Canyon to the crash site.
Fortunately, the low cloud layer held off just enough for two Santa Barbara County Sheriff/Fire helicopters to access the area. Copter 2 responded to locate the crash site and once the location was confirmed, Copter 3 was called into effect the rescue. Santa Barbara County Fire Aircrew Paramedics aboard Copter 3 were lowered on a hoist down to the injured pilot. They initiated patient care and extricated the pilot from the plane. He was hoisted up to Copter 3 and transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The successful recovery of the subject by Air Support averted a potentially all night operation by ground personnel.
The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Reported by Santa Barbara Search and Rescue
3:15 p.m., June 12, 2017
After the large search and on our way back to our station, SBCSAR was paged out to the report of a plane down in the wilderness area behind Carpinteria. Our team members responded to both Divide Peak Rd and to the intersection of Hwy 150 and Rincon Hill Rd. to coordinate with other responding agencies.
Plans were made to insert additional SAR personnel with extrication equipment should the rescuers at the crash site need additional help to get the pilot out of the wreckage.
The pilot was hoisted out and transported to Cottage Hospital.
Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy
3:47 p.m., June 10, 2017
Single engine plane crash within Los Padres Forest boundaries near Jameson Lake. Responders have staged a helicopter to find the exact location in Carpinteria.
