Moab City Council member Rani Derasary and her husband, pilot Nate Rydman, were injured in a plane crash last week near Canyonlands Field Airport.
The injuries were not life threatening, but the Cessna 170A aircraft they were traveling in was a “complete loss,” according to Grand County Sheriff’s Lt. Kim Neal.
Their private plane left Canyonlands Field at about 7:43 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3. According to information that Neal received, sudden shifts in wind speed and the direction of the wind are believed to be contributing factors in the accident.
In a letter to the editor of the Moab Sun News, Rydman said that the couple are on the mend from their injuries.
“We are at home, moving around (although not fast) and we will heal and recover,” he wrote.
The Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, Moab Valley Fire Department and Grand County Search and Rescue responded to the scene of the accident about 1.5 miles south of Canyonlands Field.
Rydman thanked everyone who aided in the response.
“I hope we didn’t make any of your evenings too long but we are sure glad you are all there and ready to roll,” he wrote. “You are tax money well spent as you do these things on a regular basis.”
