Small Airplane Plummets Into Grand Canyon
A small airplane registered to a Manhattan Beach resident crashed inside the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on Friday, killing at least one person, authorities said.
Paul Capek’s single-engine plane, a Mooney 20, was en route from Torrance Municipal Airport to Colby, Kan., when it plunged into the canyon at 10:15 a.m., according to the National Transportation Safety Board. It was not known how many people were aboard the aircraft, or whether the 39-year-old owner and pilot was on the four-seat plane. Coconino County deputies recovered one body Friday afternoon.
About 50 tourists witnessed the fiery crash, the Sheriff’s Department said.
A rescue crew was sent into the area by helicopter, according to Sheriff’s Deputy Linda Kuczynski. She said rescue attempts were hampered by a thunderstorm, which might have contributed to the crash.
According to Andy Anderson, who has a hangar several doors down from Capek’s, the owner of the plane is a radiologist who often flies alone.
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