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A 7-year-old girl survived a plane crash in Kentucky that killed four people Friday night, and the disoriented little girl walked away from the wreckage and reported the crash to a local resident, authorities said.

The small Piper PA-34 reported engine trouble and lost contact with air traffic controllers as it was flying over the southwestern part of Kentucky about 5:55 p.m. CST, the FAA said.
About a half hour later, a Lyon County resident called 911 and told dispatchers that a 7-year-old girl had walked to his home and said she had been involved in a plane crash, said Sgt. Dean Patterson of the Kentucky State Police.

"This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash," Patterson said. "It's a miracle in a sense that she survived it, but it's tragic that four others didn't."

The girl was in emotional distress and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Patterson said. At that point, authorities launched a search for the crash site and also confirmed with the FAA that they had received a distress call.

About two hours later, authorities found the crash site in a heavily wooded area near Kentucky lake, a popular tourist attraction in the state. They discovered four bodies, including the pilot and the three passengers.

The FAA said the plane had taken off from Tallahassee Regional Airport, Florida, and was bound for Mount Vernon, Illinois. Patterson said the girl indicted that the plane had left from Key West, Florida.

Patterson said in a statement that the victims were identified 49-year-old Marty Gutzler; 45-year-old Kimberly Gutzler; their daughter, 9-year-old Piper Gutzler; and her cousin, 14-year-old Sierra Wilder. All four were from Nashville, IL. Police say the name of the 7-year-old passenger is being withheld at the request of family.

Patterson said it had been raining in the area for most of Friday. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
http://news.yahoo.com/police-girl-7-...034412472.html
http://www.wave3.com/story/27750881/...mobilecgbypass

[kellyhound]

what a brave little girl, too bad the others died

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Thanks for the contribution, KH

[Oswald2001]

God Bless that young girl.

[Pyramid_Head]

She lost her family just like that. I pray she has plenty of other family to take her in and deal with this difficult time.

[DiamondSmiles]

Girl Who Survived Plane Crash Hoped Family Was 'Just Sleeping'

ABCNews
Ben Candea

January 4, 2015

A 7 year old girl who survived a plane crash and then trekked nearly a mile through dense woods to get help held out hope that her parents, sister and cousin might somehow have survived, too, police said today.

"She indicated to us that she believed her family was deceased, but, that she hoped they were just sleeping," Kentucky State Police Lt. Brent White said. "I was literally just struck by how calm she was able to be and the ability for her to give us this information."

Sailor Gutzler suffered a broken bone in her wrist in the crash, White said. The girl tried lighting a glow or torch stick to help illuminate her way out of the dense woods where the plane crashed, but the stick failed to light, he said.

White said the girl freed herself from the aircraft and walked about 15 to 20 minutes toward a light coming from the home of Larry Wilkins, who called 911 when she arrived.

"She navigated thick trees, briars, and bushes to get to the home," White said.

White added that the girl, "was dressed for Florida," wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt despite the temperature being 38 degrees. The family was headed to their hometown of Nashville, Illinois, from a vacation in Florida at the time.

"She didn't have very much clothing on at all," White said.

NTSB Investigator, Heidi Moats, said she spent several hours at the crash site but offered no details as to what may have caused the small plane to crash late Friday in Kuttawa, Kentucky.

After investigators studied the wreckage of the Piper PA-34 where it crashed in the woods, the remains of the plane were moved Sunday to a location where it can be inspected in greater detail.

The agency will issue a preliminary report in about 10 days, Moats said.

Gutzler's parents, Marty Gutzler, 48, and his wife Kimberly Gutzler, 46; her sister, Piper Gutzler, 9; and, her cousin, Sierra Wilder, 14, were all killed in the crash.

It's unclear what caused the crash, but, Marty Gutzler reported engine problems before losing contact with air traffic controllers.

A family friend described him as a very meticulous and knowledgeable pilot. Federal Aviation Administration records show that Gutzler was a certified flight instructor.

Fred Prug, another family friend, echoed similar sentiments.

"He loved flying," Prug said. "You didn't have a conversation with Marty without him talking about flying."

The family friend said Gutzler flew the family a few times each year.

The Gutzlers owned a furniture store in Nashville, and Marty Gutzler often offered customers flights, said the family friend. He described them as a tight knit group.

The NTSB has not yet spoken with her.

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Thanks for the contributions, DS