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Pilot in Colorado crash: Plane caught in downdraft

DENVER (AP) – The pilot of a small plane that crashed in a remote canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park says he got caught in a downdraft and couldn’t escape even at full power.

The pilot, Jim Michaels of Oconomowoc (oh-KAHN’-ah-mah-walk), Wis., and his 18-year-old daughter suffered only minor injuries in the July 8 crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the crash Friday.



Michaels told investigators he was circling to gain altitude to get over the mountains at the time.

He and his daughter, Tonie, were the only people aboard. They built a shelter from trees and aircraft debris and were rescued the next day.



The NTSB says the plane was moved to a hangar in Greeley for examination.


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