50°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Ultra-light aircraft crashes onto dry lake bed near Pahrump

The pilot of an ultra-light aircraft sustained serious injuries after crashing onto the dry lake bed south of Pahrump, off of Homestead Road on Thursday, Jan. 3.

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis said the incident occurred just before 1:30 p.m, when other individuals on scene contacted emergency crews after the aircraft went down.

“Early reports indicated that there were critical injuries sustained by the pilot in the accident,” Lewis said.

“Crews extended onto the dry lake bed in search of the incident where they found an ultra-light aircraft crash and one patient. Mercy Air 21 was added to the assignment where a landing zone was established on the south parking lot of Sheri’s Ranch. Crews removed the patient from the dry lake bed and transferred care to Mercy Air crews where that patient was flown to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas.”

Inyo County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Carma Roper noted that because the crash occurred on the California side of the border, the investigation is being conducted by Inyo County authorities.

“Deputies from Inyo arrived after the pilot had been flown out, and Bureau of Land Management authorities were also notified of this crash, just south of Charleston View,” she said.

“The pilot was attempting basic touch-and-go maneuvers because it was a new ultra-light that he just purchased. The ultra-light was only about 15 feet in the air when the pilot made an error and went down. He sustained a serious injury to his left foot. Nye County responded first with medics and the pilot was flown out by Mercy Air. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified.”

The identity of the pilot, a California resident, has not been released by investigators.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, on Twitter: @pvtimes

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.

How historical storytelling is highlighting Tonopah attractions

Preserving history for generations to come while simultaneously boosting tourism – that’s the goal of Tonopah Main Street: Historical Storytelling, a project that’s using the digital age to promote all of the fascinating facts about the bygone days of Tonopah.

Bake sale rakes in $2k for splash pad shade

Pahrump Mother’s Corner is on a mission to see the town of Pahrump build a community splash pad but this group of local parents is doing more than just advocating for the project – they are actively raising money to assist with paying for what they all feel will be a crucial addition to it, a shade structure.

The Veterans Extravaganza – an information hub for former military

The 7th Annual Cles Saunders Memorial Veterans’ Extravaganza took place last week, giving former military service members a chance to learn all about the various resources the area has to offer.

Want to be the county clerk? Applications due March 13

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf announced his pending resignation last week and the Nye County Commission must now select someone to assume the soon-to-be-vacated office.

Older resident dies in fire

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services, along with the Nevada State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the exact cause of a structure fire that claimed the life of a man early Wednesday morning.

How has the town fared with Fall Festival? Here’s an overview

When the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce made the decision to divest itself of the Pahrump Fall Festival, the town of Pahrump stepped in to reassume the popular community event.