Humboldt State University student Wilson Bowles described the fiery plane wreck he survived this week as ?one of the scariest things I've ever been in.?
The plane, piloted by Wilson Bowles' brother Zebulon Bowles, 32, crashed near the Lebanon-Warren County Airport in Ohio on Wednesday.
Another brother, Zach Bowles, 30, and his wife Katherine Bowles, 30, were also in the plane. Katherine Bowles remains in critical condition.
Reached Thursday via Skype, Wilson Bowles said the problems began shortly after takeoff when a door on the Piper 28 airplane that Zebulon Bowles rented from the airport blew open.
Wilson Bowles said his brother steered the plane back toward the airport but a crosswind came up and pushed the plane off course from the runway during a landing attempt. He said his brother punched it and went back up to try and land again when there was a ?loud pop and the engine died.? ?I said, 'Zeb -- is there anything wrong?' He was like: 'Yes.'?
Wilson Bowles said his brother kept the plane pretty straight as he piloted toward the airport. As they approached, the plane hit power lines.
?All of a sudden we were on the ground,? Wilson Bowles said.
The plane flipped upside down in a field and caught fire.
?Parts of it were exploding,? Wilson Bowles said, adding one of his brothers kicked at him, yelling at him to get out of the plane as he struggled with his seat belt.
All four passengers were able to quickly get out of the burning wreckage.?It's kind of a miracle how it happened,? Wilson Bowles said. He said a trauma doctor who lived nearby came immediately to their aid, and the emergency response was quick.
Benay Bowles, Wilson Bowles' mom, went up in the Piper 28 with her sons earlier that day. Back at the airport, she received a call from a strange phone number. Not recognizing it, she didn't answer. It was Zebulon Bowles calling from a police officer's cell phone.
Wilson Bowles said no one at the airport notified his mom. It was painters working on a building who told her a plane went down. As Benay Bowles drove away from the airport, she passed ambulances carrying her sons, not knowing until 15 or 20 minutes later that they were the ones who crashed.
Zach Bowles broke a facial bone. Zebulon Bowles damaged three cervical vertebrae and may have to travel to Chicago for surgery on his neck. They both remain hospitalized.
Wilson Bowles underwent surgery and was released. He said his ear hung by a flap, he cut his head and had glass in his scalp. After 55 stitches and three staples, he is back at his brother's house in Lebanon, Ohio.
On Monday, Wilson Bowles posted a photo of the Piper 28 plane in a hangar on Facebook, along with the note: ?About to go flying -- with Zebulon Bowles.?
Wilson Bowles said his brother recently received his pilot license but has been flying since he was 14 or 15. He acquired all of his necessary flight hours after years of flying and finally decided to get his license about six months ago. Wilson Bowles said the flight instructor who administered the test told Zebulon Bowles he was a good pilot.
Wilson Bowles has some post-operation appointments but said he is anxious to get back to Arcata. He has classes starting in January, and he plays tuba for the Marching Lumberjacks. He said dozens of messages are pouring in from concerned family and friends around the world.
Benay Bowles stood by as Wilson Bowles told his story. ?You guys got a second life,? she said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said she could not give any details on the crash with the investigation in the early stages. Cory said it usually takes months to determine what caused a crash.
Grant Scott-Goforth can be reached at 441-0514 or gscott-goforth@times-standard.com
Source: http://www.times-standard.com/ci_19645368?source=rss_viewed
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