Small experimental plane crashes

Pilot, passenger escape injury when aircraft goes down at Animas Air Park

A two-seater, single-engine, experimental aircraft crashed Tuesday at the Animas Air Park south of Durango.

Two passengers, Robert and Louise Pavicic of Prescott, Ariz., were uninjured in the crash.

The accident occurred at 12:35 p.m. as Robert Pavicic was attempting to land from the south end of the runway.

Pavicic said he was going too slow and was too high and he missed the middle of the runway and skidded off the right side into a grassy area.

The Pavicic’s were en route from Prescott. They planned to visit Durango for a couple of days before returning home.

The Lancair Legacy broke apart in several locations, including the tail.

Both Robert, 65, and Louise Pavicic, 67, walked away from the crash uninjured.

Louise Pavicic was good-humored about the bad situation.

Not only were they uninjured, but Louise Pavicic said the jostling may have aligned her spine.

“People do have good crashes,” she said.

Louise, who is not a pilot, said she was just beginning to feel comfortable flying with her husband, who has been flying since 1967.

The red-and-white plane was named “Little Lady in Red.”

She used to tell her husband it was the only other lady he was allowed to mess around with.

On Tuesday, she said: “Bob, you know you just lost your plane, don’t you? And your passenger.”

She added: “My heart breaks for him. We’re going to cry it out later.”

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the crash.


Durangoherald

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   Wednesday, May 18, 2011

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   Thursday, May 19, 2011