This story was updated July 8 at 12 p.m.
The surviving pilot of a deadly midair collision involving two small private planes in central Idaho is an aviation professor at Central Washington University.
Authorities say 52-year-old Amy Hoover of Ellensburg, Washington, landed her plane in a grassy area after the Monday morning collision about 30 miles east of Cascade. The other plane crashed and caused a small fire.
Hoover was taken by air ambulance to a McCall hospital, where she was treated and released. She is chair of the university's aviation department and owner of Canyon Flying, a backcountry flying company.
Hoover was flying alone, as was the pilot of the other plane, who died following the collision several miles from a backcountry airstrip.
The Valley County coroner has recovered the body but has not released a name.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
This story was originally posted July 7.
The pilot of a private plane is dead after the aircraft crashed in Valley County Monday morning. A spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service says the crash occurred after two planes collided in mid-air. The deceased pilot’s identity hasn’t been released.
The crash occurred around 8 a.m. about one mile from the Landmark Airstrip. The remote landing area is about 30 miles east of Cascade. The air strip is located in mountainous terrain covered with dense forests.
The crash started a small fire and a firefighting helicopter was sent to help extinguish the fire. Boise National Forest firefighters were also dispatched to the scene.
Forest Service spokesman Brian Harris says the second plane involved in the collision was able to land at the airstrip. Initially, the Forest Service reported the pilot then walked away from the plane. An update says that pilot was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in McCall.
Harris says members of the Valley County Sheriff’s Office are interviewing the surviving pilot about the circumstances that led to the crash.
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