Pilot Crashes Biplane Near Silverwood Park

A biplane pilot practicing aerobatics near Silverwood Theme Park crash-landed Saturday morning after losing power, according to the Kootenai County sheriff’s department.

The pilot, Harvey DeWitt, 70, of Spokane, and passenger Richard Thwaites, 76, of Hayden Lake, received minor scrapes and scratches in the accident.

The aircraft, an open cockpit biplane, was extensively damaged. The landing gear was collapsed from landing in a wheat field just southwest of the theme park near Athol.

One wing was partially torn from the plane, the prop was bent and the body of the plane was dented and stressed, Sgt. Brad Maskell said.

“Both of these guys were extremely lucky,” Maskell said.

DeWitt was flying at about 4,500 feet when he suddenly lost power. He attempted to turn and land on Silverwood’s runway when he realized his approach would conflict with another plane also landing there, Maskell reported.

Because he was losing altitude fast and could not communicate with the other plane, DeWitt landed in the neighboring field. Both DeWitt and Thwaites are very experienced pilots, Maskell said. , DataTimes