Another wild plane incident involving a pilot has occurred this week – this time in Portland, Oregon. And just like many of the other recent airplane incidents, it was a close call, and thus going viral on social media.
The pilot of the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on the Columbia River. This was due to the engine on his small plane malfunctioning. It occurred as the plane was approaching the Troutdale Airport on June 24.
Pilot Forced to Make Emergency Landing
The pilot, Rick Boettcher, boasts more than 25 years of experience. So luckily he escaped the incident unscathed after the crash landing on Monday afternoon.
After escaping the aircraft, Boettcher was forced to swim to safety. He was then picked up by first responders and taken to the hospital for medical evaluation.
“I was coming downwind to land in Troutdale. As I was turning to base — pilots will know what this is — the engine quit. I didn’t have enough altitude to make it to the runway. So I had to plan my landing because when your engine quits you have to land,” Boettcher said.
“And the best possible spot was not in the wires, you know, those high power wires that go in. And a water landing seemed like my best bet.”
First Responder Gets Candid on Incident
Mike Traeger, who was one of the first responders on the ground revealed just how lucky Boettcher was to escape danger. Traeger says when the issue was first reported to first responders they had trouble locating the experienced pilot.
He also says this is the first incident of this magnitude in his career, where the pilot walked away on their own strength.
“I don’t remember another one. Usually they make it to the airport, and then they’re there,” he said.
“They have us come out there because when they land, they may be under power or they might, in case it goes bad, we’re there to help them out.”