Small plane in all-female race crash-lands near Humansville

(KY3)
Published: Jun. 22, 2016 at 12:16 PM CDT
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A small plane crash-landed in northwestern Polk County late Wednesday morning during an all-female cross-country race. The pilot, Susan Larson, 65, of Santa Fe, N.M., called 9-1-1 shortly before noon to say she made an emergency landing with her co-pilot, Amy Ecclesine, 60, of Berkeley, Cal.

The women were flying from Arkadelphia, Ark., to Warrensburg, Mo., the next stop in the race, when they had engine trouble. The pilot said she first thought she could make it to an airport in Stockton but then decided she couldn't make it and landed in a hay field.

The Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal says the Cessna 182 was one of the airplanes racing in the 40th Annual Air Race Classic, which departed from Prescott, Arizona, on Tuesday morning. Race spokeswoman Dianna Stanger says preparations were being made Wednesday afternoon to remove the damaged aircraft from the field.

The race covers more than 2,700 miles across 12 states over four days and ends at 5 p.m. Friday in Daytona Beach, Florida. Stanger says there have been no fatal crashes in the event's four decades.

The website for the Air Race Classic, http://www.airraceclassic.org/, says the race started with 55 teams with 130 pilots. Several of the planes are Cessna 182 models.

Emergency responders say the women walked away from the Cessna Skylane 182P after the landing. A trooper said they "don't have a scratch on them" and they refused ambulance service.

Witnesses saw the plane circling around after the engine failed. The land owner was able to track them down and found they were okay.

The location is near Double J Indoor Arena, off East 344th Road near Highway M, a couple of miles southwest of Humansville.

The land owner wouldn't let reporters and videographers near the landing site, which is shielded from a road by trees, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol said it couldn't share its photos because the women demanded that they not be released.

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Here's a profile of the women from the Air Race Classic's website:

This is the ninth Air Race Classic for Susan Larson (Santa Fe, NM). A Commercial pilot, single-engine land and helicopter, Susan has a helicopter flight instructor certificate, a tailwheel endorsement and 3,850 hours under her belt. Susan is a past president of the 99s and a member of the Rio Grande Norte chapter.

The mother of a daughter who is a pilot, Susan flies the ARC, “For the estrogen rush at each flyby, and to update my skill set, particularly my decision-making. Bonding with my co-pilot is an added bonus.” She added, “Since my first ARC in 1986, the many races have become just one Great Race in my dreams. And I'm still trying to win that Great Race.”

Susan is former owner/operator of a helicopter charter and tour company, former owner and manager of a pallet company and a former certified public accountant. The past 30 years have brought her much joy, an in-depth STEM (science, technology, science and math) education, deep friendships, scenery beyond description, a strong bond with a Cessna 182 and experiences that will last a lifetime.

Amy Ecclesine (Berkeley, CA) is flying the ARC for the fourth time. She is a Private pilot, single-engine land, with 700 hours in her logbook. Said Amy, “Racing is the ultimate continuous improvement to my piloting skills; it's a thrill, and I get to see part of the country I might never see from a single engine plane. And the accomplished women's company is wonderful.”

One memorable race experience involved ordering pizza delivered to their hotel and sharing it with their baby birds after a close encounter with a tornado. Amy is a program leader for the radiation protection group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Before that, she worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where she met Susan. Amy has run more than 80 triathlons and enjoys snorkeling, singing, dancing, motorcycling, skiing and open-water swimming – anything involving speed. She is a member of the Bay Cities chapter of the 99s.

End of team profile from website