SPANISH FORK, Utah -- An Orem pilot survived a crash-landing in a Spanish Fork field on Tuesday; the man’s experimental plane split in two upon impact, but he walked away with just scratches.
The pilot, Joel Skousen of Orem, is grateful for the way things turned out.
"Very blessed," Skousen said.
He said he was trying to land at Spanish Fork Airport but had fuel problems and lost power.
"It's very frightening, but you're trained to go through these procedures of trying to get that engine re-started," he said.
However, when the former marine fighter pilot couldn't restart the engine, witnesses watched the plane go down.
"I knew at the altitude he was at there was no way he was gonna make the runway," Witness James Perriton said.
A field with horses about half of a mile from the airport became Skousen's runway. When the plane crashed it tumbled. Search and rescue crews couldn't believe Skousen survived, especially Mike Patey—who lost a relative in a plane crash.
"I had a massive flood of emotions thinking about that crash that ended fatal for my family, and to come running out and see this guy climbing out of a plane torn in two was a huge relief," Patey said.
Skousen stepped away from the wreckage covered in white paint. There were construction supplies on board.
"I was down in Las Vegas doing a job," Skousen said.
Skousen is also a conservative political commentator and survival expert who's written several books, such as ‘Strategic Relocation.’ He’s a regularly featured guest on internet doomsday program, “Info-wars,” but on Tuesday, the man who teaches survival, now has a different survival story to tell.
Despite those frightening moments, Skousen said he'll fly again.
"I got two more kits in the hanger, build another airplane and go at it again," he said smiling.
Pieces of Skousen’s plane were hauled back to his hangar at the Spanish Fork Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be there Wednesday to investigate the crash.
