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Idaho plane crash: Police say 14-year-old girl is 'beyond lucky' after she survives deadly crash

The two-seater plane came down in a remote mountainous area

Ashley Cowburn
Saturday 17 October 2015 16:06 BST
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A photo released on Oct. 16, 2015, shows the wreckage of a two-seater plane that crashed in Bonneville County
A photo released on Oct. 16, 2015, shows the wreckage of a two-seater plane that crashed in Bonneville County (Bonneville Country Sheriff)

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A 14-year-old girl has been described as “beyond lucky” after surviving a plane crash in Idaho that killed her pilot father.

According to reports from the local Bonneville County Sheriff's office, a two-seater plane crashed at approximately 5.15pm on Thursday. Lt. Kevin Casper said the light aircraft crashed in a “very remote area”, east of Palisades Reservoir and the teenage girl called emergency services moments before impact.

Speaking to ABC News, Casper added that the plane crash was “significant” and “girl is beyond lucky” to have made it out alive. She was flown to a nearby medical centre and was later reported to be in a stable condition with minor injuries.

Rescue crews were only able to recover her father’s body the following morning due to the remoteness of the crash site. It is not yet known what caused the tragic incident and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), alongside the National Transportation Safety Board, has launched an investigation.

Officials declined to identify the names of the two individuals to ABC News but local media named the man involved in the crash as Travis Hamilton, a 43-year-old aviation enthusiast, a former investment banker who founded a company specialising in acquiring private jets for wealthy clients.

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