SpilyayTymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
February 13, 1997
Three survive plane crash near Simnasho
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A single engine Cesna airplane crashed on the Warm Springs Reservation in route to The Dalles after pilot loses his sense of direction during inclement weather.
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On their way from their
home in southern
California to The Dalles
for a family gathering to
celebrate their father's
90th birthday, the
Blankenship family
probably never expected
to find themselves
stranded in a remote
area of the northern part
of the Warm Springs
Indian Reservation. But,
that's exactly what
happened to the trio
Thursday, February 6.
Richard and Jan
Blankenship and their
son John encountered
low and heavy cloud
cover and dense fog
February 6 as they were
making their way north.
Richard Blankenship, the
pilot, descended, trying
to find a landmark, but he
already was at an
altitude lower than he
realized. The plane's
wing clipped a tree and
crashed.
John Blankenship stayed
with his parents
throughout the night and
made his way out of the
area the next morning on
foot, following a logging
road. He met searchers
and led them back to his
parents. The elder
Blankenships sustained
minor injuries and were
taken to Legacy
Emmanuel Hospital in
Portland by the Air
Forece's Portland-based
304-th Rescue
Squadron. John
Blankenship was treated
at Mt. View Hospital in
Madras and released.
Snowmobiles pulling sleds were used during the rescue February 7.
An airplane wing rests halfway up the top of the tree
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A imhno rrich ;iptime ara hrni inht ri rf anH Iran cforpd intn thp 304th National Guard rescue helinnnter
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Some rescue vehicles were unable to make it to the crash site.
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