Mark Darling tries to kill himself by crashing plane into mountain but survives without a scratch

show ad

Jordan announces execution of six ISIS prisoners at dawn in retaliation after terrorists release lavish video of Jordanian pilot being TORCHED to death in a cage in yet another new low for humanity
PIERS MORGAN: Watching ISIS burn a man alive was the most abominable thing I have ever seen - and any Muslim who won't stand up to these barbarians must watch it too
Thousands gather in Jordan to demand blood: Female suicide bomber ISIS had claimed they wanted freed will be the first of six Islamist prisoners executed tomorrow
Obama and the King of Jordan meet for hastily arranged Oval Office sit-down just hours after ISIS murders pilot in grisly cage fire
ISIS knew burning Jordanian pilot alive would spark backlash in Islamic world - so prepared a list of justifications beforehand
One of the most sickening acts ever committed to film: The carefully edited, and highly choreographed footage that ISIS knows will horrify the West - and entice even more jihadists to their cause
BREAKING NEWS: At least six dead and a dozen seriously injured after train crashed into a car and burst into flames on the tracks just outside New York City
Hip Hop mogul Suge Knight rushed to the hospital with a panic attack minutes after pleading not guilty murdering his friend and attempting to kill another man in hit-and-run
Herbal supplements yanked from shelves after four out of five top-selling store brands found to contain anything from powdered asparagus to houseplants
Charles Manson is still single: Cult leader's license to marry 26-year-old is set to expire without a wedding
Holly Madison accuses Vegas showgirl theater of making secret dressing room recordings of her and dancers
More than $190,000 of donations pour into car fund for dedicated factory worker who trudges 21 miles to work every day on foot - but all he wants is a Ford Taurus
Six-year-old girl dies after being eaten by PIRANHAS when her grandmother's canoe capsizes during family holiday in Brazil
Baby Emma is all grown up! The twins who played Ross and Rachel's daughter in Friends are now 13 - and rising stars in their own right
'I saved a seat for him': Etan Patz's best friend tells how she waited for him on a bus - but he never arrived
Bobbi Kristina had stash of drugs at home when she was found face down in the bath tub - and 'friend' with a history of drug arrests was in the house when the tragedy struck
Harper Lee sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird will be published in July after she thought it had been lost for the past 50 years
EXCLUSIVE: Top Republican contender Ted Cruz 'foolishly experimented with marijuana,' his campaign admits after Bush confesses to high-school pot use
Dow Jones gains over 300 points as stocks rally due to higher oil prices and hopes of Greek debt deal
Paris Hilton's little brother Conrad arrested for 'going insane' on plane and threatening to 'f**king kill' passengers and flight attendants
EXCLUSIVE: 'I wanted a wife... so did she'. Ex-husband of Megyn Kelly speaks out about his marriage to the FOX News star and reveals he didn't CHEAT on her - and it 'bugged' him that she hinted he did on air
'President Obama knew he won primary after watching as Hillary Clinton unraveled when confronted over her campaign lies about his faith and drug use in secret talk' says Reggie Love
Design company in Paris sparks outrage after allegedly posting job advert that asked for 'no Jews if possible'
Three-parent babies are legalized in Britain as politicians approve IVF technique

Mark Darling, 55, was flying over Steamboat Springs, Colorado last month when he thought about his son Travis, who died in a car crash in 2012
He turned his plane towards the mountain and crashed - but miraculously was not injured
He says his son's voice encouraged him to survive and guided him to his cell phone, which had landed in the snow
He called 911 and was rescued after seven hours in freezing conditions

Published: 15:15 EST, 3 February 2015 | Updated: 15:59 EST, 3 February 2015

View
comments

A pilot who crashed his plane into a mountainside after he was overcome with grief at losing one of his sons has miraculously survived with just scratches - and credits his son with saving his life.

Mark Darling was flying alone from Baggs, Wyoming, to Greeley, Colorado on January 25 when he flew over Steamboat Springs, Colorado - where he raised his family - and thought of his son, Travis, who was just 23 when he was killed in a car crash in October 2012.

Darling, 55, made a split-second decision to end his life.

'I make a bad decision at this point,' he told KCNC. 'I turn the airplane east toward the mountains. I say my last goodbyes... I closed my eyes and I wait for the impact.'

Scroll down for video

Lucky escape: Mark Darling was overcome with grief about the death of his son as he flew his plane in Colorado last month and tried to take his life by crashing the plane - but he survived without a scratch

But it never came.

Instead, he felt as the Cessna 172F high-wing plane cruised through trees and crumpled at it landed in the snow, miraculously leaving him without a scratch.

He found himself stranded on the snow-covered mountain without any survival equipment. He had also not logged a flight plan so no one would have known where to look when he failed to return.

Despite his earlier death wish, he said he suddenly felt determination to survive - because he heard his son speak to him.

'He's like, "Dad, you are not going out like this",' he recalled. '"You're going to get yourself up and you're going to build a fire and you're going to get yourself out of here".'

He reached for his phone but could not find it anywhere in the wreckage.

Loss: Darling's 23-year-old son Travis, pictured left and right, was killed in a car crash in October 2012

Wreckage: Darling's plan was destroyed when he hit the mountain - but he did not suffer a single injury

At that point, his son spoke to him again and guided him to the other side of the plane, where he found his phone in the snow, he said.

He called his sister and 911, and set up a fire as he waited for emergency responders.

Seven hours after he crashed, eight members of Routt County Search and Rescue rode snowmobiles to him and took him to hospital.

The NTSB is investigating the crash and Darling, who is married with three other sons and a daughter, has not yet spoken to investigators.

His son Travis was killed in 2012 after his pickup went off the road near Rockdale, Texas and rolled over. The accomplished rodeo cowboy had moved to the area just a week before to start a new job on a ranch, according to an article in Steamboat Today.

Saved: He says his son's voice guided him to his cell phone and he called family and 911. Seven hours after the crash, emergency responders reached him and stretchered him to safety, pictured

Despite the ramifications of speaking out publicly about his story, Mark Darling said he is now inspired to share the tale of survival with other people who are grieving.

'I've never felt more alive in my life,' he said. 'I don't know what direction it's going to lead me in but, heck yeah, I'm along for the ride now.'

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
For support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here

See below for video