Page 18 - Brian Hooker News Today

>> i wanted to meet her folks and enjoy christmas with them. so we traveled up to cleveland to make that happen. >> the flight north is perfect. after spending the holiday with his girlfriends family, he expects an equally smooth return south. the only difference, this time he takes along a passenger, daryl robinson, his girlfriends cousin, whos also headed back to atlanta. this will be daryls second flight ever. but he says hes not nervous. >> he said he was instrument rated. obviously that is ...

All i could see was fireworks. it was sparks everywhere. >> i instantly knew, oh, no, we hit power lines. >> police. >> these are the passengers of the airplane that is caught in the power line. >> you are on the plane that crashed into the power line? >> yes, we are in the plane. right now. both of us. >> two men caught in a death-defying, high-wire act. for brian hooker, a 31-year-old atlanta technology entrepreneur, flying has been a lifelong dream. >> i got an opportunity to fly and immediat...

Fireworks. it was sparks everywhere. >> i instantly knew, oh, no, we hit power lines. >> police. >> these are the passengers of the airplane that is caught in the power line. >> you are on the plane that crashed into the power line? >> yes, we are in the plane. right now. both of us. >> two men caught in a death-defying, high-wire act. for brian hooker, a 31-year-old atlanta technology entrepreneur, flying has been a lifelong dream. >> i got an opportunity to fly and immediately said, i belong h...

>> the flight north is perfect. after spending the holiday with his girlfriends family, he expects an equally smooth return south. the only difference, this time he takes along a passenger, daryl robinson, his girlfriends cousin, whos also headed back to atlanta. this will be daryls second flight ever. but he says hes not nervous. >> he said he was instrument rated. obviously that is a rather skilled pilot. he knows what he is doing. he can fly whether he can see or not. so i pretty much trusted...

He couldnt feel his legs. i couldnt feel my legs. >> rescuers draped two slings around the fuselage to create a makeshift harness, supporting the weight of the plane. now more than 50 rescuers worked ever so cautiously around the web of wires which even without power could become deadly whip if one of them snaps. >> the force exerted by one of those lines had it become dislodged could have been as much as 10,000 pounds. >> the rescue operation is heading into its sixth hour. brian and daryl are ...

Hallelujah. i jumped around, you know, and did a little jig. >> brian and daryl believe its nothing short of a miracle. a higher power watching over them on those power lines. >> when god wants to move in your life, he likes to do it in a manner that you are certain that its him. >> daryl says if he is going to fly with brian again, one things for sure -- >> i make sure when we land we have four tanks. we going to have extra gas. >> brian hooker believes his survival was nothing short of a mirac...

To a -- with the air coming through the plane. >> the novice pilot knows his only chance is to glide the 1800 aircraft to the ground. >> it is a heavily wooded area. planes and trees dont mix. kind of like a blow dryer and a bathtub. >> to make matters worse, it was dark. >> but then a break. >> i spotted a dark clearing between two evenly cut sets of trees. and in my mind i said there we go. >> as the plane descends, the two men brace for impact with the ground. then, just seconds before they t...

With a seat belt trying to brace myself against different parts of the plane. >> the pressure from my body was starting to cut off circulation to the other parts of my body. he couldnt feel his legs. i couldnt feel my legs. >> rescuers draped two slings around the fuselage to create a makeshift harness, supporting the weight of the plane. now more than 50 rescuers worked ever so cautiously around the web of wires which even without power could become deadly whip if one of them snaps. >> the forc...

They smash into a pole and come to a stop 80 feet above the ground. >> i was thinking, wow, we are alive. >> alive, but the cockpit is smashed in and the two are hanging upside-down. daryl struggles to get a cell phone from brians pocket and manages to call 911. >> engine 26 is on the scene. >> captain mike flowers is among the first to arrive. >> it was certainly something i couldnt comprehend. ive never seen an aircraft stuck in power lines like that. >> were going to need a crane out here. >>...

To a stop 80 feet above the ground. >> i was thinking, wow, we are alive. >> alive, but the cockpit is smashed in and the two are hanging upside-down. daryl struggles to get a cell phone from brians pocket and manages to call 911. >> engine 26 is on the scene. >> captain mike flowers is among the first to arrive. >> it was certainly something i couldnt comprehend. ive never seen an aircraft stuck in power lines like that. were going to need a crane up here. we had to make sure that the power was...