Not many survive a plane crash, but two individuals did when a plane crashed in the Mazatzal mountains just southeast of Payson. This occurrence took place on January 24, 2020. The 911 call came into the Sheriff’s office at approximately 3:12 PM. The caller was reporting that their plane had crashed.
It is reported that there were three passengers on board. It was through the efforts of the Helicopter Ranger with DPS that the crash site was located.
Have you or a loved one been involved in an accident? Speak to a lawyer for a free no obligation consultation
Or call us at (888) 699-7975
The rescue involved airlifting Colten Egbert age 21, and Spencer Berns age 29 to hospitals in the Valley. At the time there was no report about the injuries they had sustained. A third person identified as Blaine Matthews, age 59, was dead at the scene. All three individuals were from Mesa.
Shelly Berns, the wife of Spencer Berns, one of the survivors, indicated that her husband suffered some broken bones and an injured spine but was recovering in hospital. Shelly stated that she had gotten a text from Spencer, which was just before 9 AM that they had fueled up the plane. She went on to say that she was still numb, and her emotions were a wreck when she received notice that his plane had gone down. She is looking forward to when Spencer will be out of the hospital, and they can move past this.
The pilot Colten Egbert was the individual that had placed the 911 call. He relied on his Garmin InReach watch to provide the coordinates through GPS to dispatch.
Allen Kenitzer, who is an FAA spokesperson, stated the plane was a Piper P28A. The cause of the crash at the time of reporting was unknown. It was also stated that the FAA and NTSB would conduct investigations.
Shelly reported that Spenser and Matthews enjoyed spending time together. She went on to say that there was nothing that you would ask him (Matthews) to do that he would ever say no to.