‘Chances were slim’: The incredible way this family survived a plane crash

WHITETHORN, Calif. (WJW) – Three people suffered only minor injuries in a California plane crash after the airplane’s engine lost power about five minutes after taking off.

According to a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a possible airplane crash in Whitethorn, California, on March 8 at about 1:15 p.m.

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Deputies found three passengers, surprisingly all with only minor cuts and scratches.

The plane’s occupants included a 38-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman and a 2-year-old girl, all from Santa Rosa, according to the release.

Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, CalFire, Southern Humboldt Tech Rescue and members of the Whale Gulch, Shelter Cover and Whitethorn Fire Departments responded to assist with the crash.

During the investigation, officials discovered that the plane’s engine lost power about five minutes after taking flight.

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Soon after takeoff, the occupant flying the plane tried to troubleshoot the problem but then noticed the plane’s altitude was too low for recovery, according to the release.

That is when the pilot deployed the plane’s Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, which slowed the airplane as it went down, carrying the plane until it crashed into the trees in a heavily wooded area, according to the release.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were then contacted to assist with the investigation, according to the release.

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