A pilot and his teenage daughters are lucky to be alive following a plane crash that left them unable to call for help.
Pennsylvania State Police first received reports of a possible plane crash around 8:30 in the evening of November 14. The plane originally appeared on a radar but quickly disappeared, leaving those watching fearing the worst.
The single-engine Cessna 150 had taken off from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport shortly before the crash. Investigators quickly made their way to an area 25 miles south of Scranton in Bear Creek Township, where authorities admitted they did not expect to find any crash survivors.
As investigators worked in the suspected crash site, others worked on using technology to track the 58-year-old dad, who was flying the plane, and his 13-year-old daughter. They were the only two on board.
The father and daughter were found huddled together after five hours of searching. The area, which had rugged terrain, left them with few options for getting help. Factored in with temperatures in the mid-30s and the dark, the odds were against them.
Authorities have not released the identity of the father and child. They have also not given any updates on their condition, except to say that they are alive and recovering.
"With the help of the United States Air Force, they were able to track a better location on several pings, actually using the cellphone of the pilot, and his daughter's iPad," Sergeant John Richards told reporters per Fox Lexington.
"The daughter saves both of them by using her iPad. And the dad was cuddling the daughter that gave her warmth because they were both suffering from hypothermia at the time."
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are working on determining the cause of the crash. An initial report is expected to be delivered this week, with a full investigation spanning as long as a year.
