Survivors’ video shows harrowing Idaho plane crash

Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho

The survivors of a plane crash in central Idaho can prove just how close they came to death, with a seven-minute video documenting their harrowing experience, including the bloody aftermath.

One passenger, Nathan Williams, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he and his friends are “just four guys who are lucky to be alive.”

Williams was filming June 30 when the small plane took off from a dirt runway headed toward the mountain resort town of McCall. His video shows the plane flying for several minutes before losing altitude and slamming into the trees below, with the pilot suffering serious injuries.

The video has drawn national attention after being posted online this week.

Williams suffered a concussion in the plane crash and said the pilot, Les Gropp, 70, had a broken jaw, broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone. The two other passengers, Alec Arhets and Gropp’s son, Tol, escaped with cuts and bruises, Williams said.