Two men survive plane crash

Sept. 27, 2005

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU -Two men were injured Wednesday when their Aeronca Champ aircraft crashed in trees in the Hatcher Pass region, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The family of Robert Miller, 46, of Wasilla, called troopers to report that Miller and his wife's cousin, Robert Rasmussen, 54, of Palmer, had just crashed in Rasmussen's 90-horsepower 7EC. Troopers called the National Guard, and the Guard airlifted the men to Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage.

Rasmussen had just gassed up the plane but wasn't planning to go flying, when Miller called and wanted to go up and spot moose.

"We left with full tanks and were up about a half hour," Rasmussen said from his hospital bed Thursday. "It was a bit windy and rainy. I was checking for carb ice, always."

Rasmussen referred to a condition in which ice forms in the carburetor air intake, resulting in the loss of engine power.

"We were out around Fishhook Road and Peters Creek," he said. "The upper wing stalled in a turn. I tried to correct, but got no altitude. I put it between two trees.

"Bobby got me out, and I was able to crawl under a spruce tree."

They tried to get as far away from the plane as possible because of the fuel leaking from the wings. According to Rasmussen, they had cell phones and survival gear in the plane. They were able to call for help, make sure the emergency locator transmitter was activated and start a signal fire.

"Bobby did a good job on the fire," Rasmussen said. "And they did a good job loading us into the helicopter and bringing us to Regional."

According to Rasmussen's wife, Karen, he suffered a shattered ankle, a collapsed and bruised lung, broken ribs and some lacerations that needed stitches.

"His leg hurts so much that his lung doesn't bother him," Karen Rasmussen said. "My cousin has a few broken ribs. Can you believe it? It could have been so much worse."

Both men were at Regional Hospital on Thursday, but expected a full recovery, Robert Rasmussen said.

"My back and my neck aren't screwed up," he said "I'll be all right."