iStock/Thinkstock(SEATTLE) — Two people on board a plane that crashed into the side of a mountain at Olympic National Park in Washington state on Sunday evening have survived, federal officials told ABC News.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Peter Knudson told ABC News the student and instructor on the single engine Cirrus SR-22 aircraft crashed around 3:48 p.m. local time. The NTSB is investigating the incident.
The Washington State Department of Transportation confirmed to ABC News that the pair on board the crashed plane made contact with a nearby commercial flight over an emergency frequency, but could not confirm the airline. The FAA and the Navy could not confirm this report. The FAA said the incident is under investigation.
The Navy rescued the instructor and student from Jupiter Mountain at approximately 6 p.m. local time with an MH-60S helicopter. The crew members administered emergency medical care before flying them to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The nursing supervisor at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle says the pair are in serious condition in the intensive care unit.
Photos from the Navy show rescue workers tending to the crash on the side of a snowy mountain.
An FAA spokesperson told ABC News the crash occurred under unknown circumstances after departing from Everett’s Paine Field and the plane suffered substantial damage in the incident.
The parachute on board the Cirrus SR-22 aircraft was not deployed during the crash, according to the FAA. Cirrus aircraft are equipped with a parachute that can be deployed in the event of an emergency.
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