Man says he ‘belly-flopped’ plane against mountain

BOISE, Idaho — A California pilot who survived a weekend plane crash with his wife and daughter says he intentionally “belly-flopped” his small plane against a snowy Idaho mountainside after its wings iced up.

Brian Brown of Wilton, Calif., told KTVB-TV the airplane’s radio and GPS systems were not working after the Cessna 172 crashed Saturday night and the family did not believe they had any way to call for help.

But about six hours later, his phone rang and they realized they had cell service. His daughter called 911 and rescue crews helped airlift them out Sunday afternoon.

Brown, his wife Jayann and their daughter, Heather, were recovering at a Boise hospital Monday. They were traveling from California to Mountain Home to visit another daughter.