Colorado Springs-based plane makes belly-landing on a Lake Mead beach
A small plane carrying four people made an emergency landing Monday morning, narrowly missing two portable bathrooms at a Lake Mead beach, according to officials.
Clark County firefighters and National Park Service rangers responded just before 5:30 a.m. to the beach near U.S. Highway 93 and Lake Shore Drive, about 5 miles west of Hoover Dam, according to Clark County’s emergency dispatch.
The six-seat Piper Saratoga left the North Las Vegas airport just before 5 a.m. Monday and was headed for El Paso, Texas, airport spokesman Chris Jones said.
The name of the pilot and passengers has not been released. According to a Federal Aviation Administration online database, the plane is registered to Dr. Harry Silsby of Colorado Springs, Co.
Lake Mead officials received a call at 5:18 a.m. reporting a plane had landed at Special Events Beach, near Boulder Beach, the park service said.
The male pilot and three women on board suffered scrapes and bruises, Jones said. Two of the passengers were treated at the scene for minor injuries; no one was taken to the hospital, the park service said.
The women, from the El Paso area, had spent the weekend in Las Vegas and were being flown home when the plane’s engine failed over mountains along the eastern side of Boulder Basin, the release said.
The passengers told officials the pilot circled back toward Boulder City and glided to a wheels-up landing on the beach. The extent of damage to the 1979 Piper PA-32P-301 is unknown. No park facilities were damaged.
Special Events Beach is temporarily closed until the plane is removed. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and the Park Service are investigating.
Fire department and park service officials were not immediately available for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber
