Heart-Stopping Video Shows Plane Nearly Crash Into Colorado Mountain
By Bill Galluccio
July 12, 2024
A heart-stopping video recorded by a hiker in Colorado captured the moment a small plane nearly crashed into a mountain. In a post on Facebook, Jason Dunn said he was hiking to the Devil's Thumb in Grand County when he saw a Cessna 152 flying overhead.
"It was clear the plane was struggling trying to clear the saddle. It was coming straight at us, and as a former licensed pilot, I was worried it would go into an aerodynamic stall," Dunn wrote.
Dunn watched as the plane started to dive toward the ground. The aircraft was just a few feet off the ground when the pilot managed to pull up and ascend.
Dunn's post also included a video of the near-crash that his son recorded.
Data from FlightAware showed that the aircraft, which was rented out by Rocky Mountain Flight School, took off from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield just before 10 a.m. and landed safely about an hour later at Granby/Grand County Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.
Crazy thing happened today while hiking up to Devil’s Thumb in Grand County. While sitting in the saddle on the ridge at the top (the Continental Divide), a plane came up the valley from the opposite (Boulder) side. It was clear the plane was struggling trying to clear the saddle. It was coming straight at us, and as a former licensed pilot, I was worried it would go into an aerodynamic stall. Then it either did, or the pilot made a last ditch effort to turn the plane around in a dead end valley before crashing into the mountain (or us). My son was further up the ridge line and caught most of it on video. As you can see, he made it by less than a couple of feet. If anyone has connection to Boulder municipal airport, you might send. I’m guessing he was coming from there and would love to have the video.
Posted by Jason Dunn on Thursday, July 4, 2024