Survivor of deadly Civil Air Patrol plane crash outlines incident to NTSB

DENVER (KDVR) — The survivor of the Nov. 23 crash of a Civil Air Patrol plane told investigators that the lead-up and subsequent plane crash "happened within seconds," according to a newly released report.

The crash occurred near Storm Mountain on Saturday, Nov. 23, in Larimer County, and killed Susan Wolber, the pilot; and Jay Rhoten, the aerial photographer.

A third person, Randall Settergen, was on board as a mission observer. He sustained serious injuries and was airlifted from the scene, which was noted in GPS coordinates in the federal report, to a hospital for medical treatment.

The trio were on the flight to conduct aerial photography of the area for the Red Cross, which would be used for emergency response purposes, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's report. In November, Gov. Jared Polis identified the victims of the plane crash and noted that they were volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol, a nonprofit and auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft was part of the Thompson Valley Composite Squadron.

NTSB report details recollections of crash survivor

The NTSB report details an interview of Settergen, who is not named in the report.

Settergen told the NTSB that the photography mission had been completed, and the pilot was flying to the south of the mission area. He said that he believed the pilot was returning to the Northern Colorado Regional Airport located in Loveland.

He said what happened next only took seconds.

He said he heard the pilot say "Oh (expletive)" and then saw the pilot lower the plane's nose and start to turn.

"He stated that the airplane seemed to drop, and that the airplane encountered a downdraft," the report states. "He heard the airplane hitting trees, and the next thing he remembered was being on the ground."

Settergen told the NTSB that he tried to help the photographer and pilot because he was worried about a possible fire. Because of the plane crash, the mission observer's cell phone dialed 911 and connected him with a dispatcher.

He was then rescued by a helicopter and said the flight nurse "made a comment that the winds were swirling during the rescue," according to the report.

Settergen told investigators that the plane operated normally throughout the entire flight, and communications between the crew and the Civil Air Patrol base were also normal, with no radio or distress calls from the pilot.

The plane ultimately crashed on a steep slope in "rough mountainous terrain," causing difficulty for rescue workers and investigators. According to the NTSB report, all sections of the airplane were found within the accident area. The wreckage was transported to a secure facility for further detailed examination.