A Plane Crash in the Mountains of Vermont
On a quiet Wednesday morning, a small plane with three passengers onboard crashed into the side of a remote mountain in southern Vermont.
The incident occurred around 3:50 AM near the summit of Equinox Mountain, located just west of Manchester.
The plane, a Piper PA-28, was flying when it went down at roughly 3,000 feet.
Difficult Conditions for Rescuers
The snow, which helped cushion the plane’s fall, also made the rescue efforts incredibly challenging.
According to Jamie Greene, the first assistant chief at the Manchester Fire Department, rescuers faced deep snow—up to four feet in some areas.
Despite these tough conditions, the team worked tirelessly to reach the crash site.
The Delayed Call for Help
The pilot of the plane initially contacted 911 at 8:33 AM, several hours after the crash, reporting that everyone on board had non-life-threatening injuries.
The delay between the crash and the call for help remains unclear.
Once authorities were notified, it took additional time to pinpoint the exact location of the wreckage, with first responders reaching the site around 10:16 AM.
A Coordinated Rescue Effort
The rescue operation quickly turned into a multi-agency effort. Local authorities requested backup from New York State Police, and a helicopter was soon on the way to airlift the passengers. Ultimately, all three individuals were safely rescued and transported to the Manchester Public Safety Facility. One of the passengers was later taken to Albany Medical Center for further evaluation. The rescue required the coordination of at least six local agencies and both the New York and Vermont state police departments.
Struggling Through Deep Snow
Getting to the crash site was no easy feat.
The terrain was rugged and covered in deep snow, which made it difficult for rescue teams to reach the survivors.
ATV riders, snowmobilers, and people in snowshoes all trekked through the snow to get closer.
At one point, the rescuers had to leave the main trail and wade through waist-deep snow.
Despite the challenging conditions, the rescue team remained determined to get the passengers to safety.
A Series of Aviation Incidents
This crash is just one in a string of aviation-related incidents that have been making headlines across the U.S. since the end of January. For example, a devastating crash on January 29 saw an American Airlines plane colliding with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington D.C.
The crash killed all 67 people on board, including world champion figure skaters from the U.S. and Russia.
Just a day before the Vermont crash, another near-miss occurred at Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport when an American Airlines flight narrowly avoided colliding with a plane preparing for takeoff.
In Chicago, a similar incident unfolded at Midway International Airport when a Southwest Boeing 737 had to abort its landing after spotting a private jet in its path.
These close calls are just the latest in a series of concerning events.
Last week, two planes collided midair at Marana Airport in Arizona, tragically killing two people.
Investigations by the NTSB are ongoing into the cause of the collision, which involved a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II.
The Marana Regional Airport, where the accident took place, does not have an operating air traffic control tower, which has raised questions about the safety procedures in place at uncontrolled airfields.