LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Quick action turned a pilot into a hero when his plane crashed into the Lake on March 11, 2015, with three people inside.

Nicholas Sutterer, a long-time friend of the pilot, identified the three occupants as 45-year-old Gary Sulin, of St. Charles, Mo., 73-year-old Mary Sulin (Gary’s mother), and 9-year-old Sailor Sulin (Gary’s daughter).

It was Mary’s first time to ever fly in an airplane, Sutterer said, and she was nervous when the plane took off. The three were enjoying a trip to the Lake for Sailor’s spring break.

After the crash, Sutterer arrived at Lake Regional Hospital at about the same time as the three occupants. He depicted the incident as Gary told it:

When they took off from Glaize Airport, Gary noticed something did not seem quite right with the 1976 Beechcraft B19, but he thought perhaps it was just varying winds. He had recently had the plane's oil changed and the entire aircraft inspected, and had taken it on multiple flights since then, without any issue. As they neared the 17 Mile Marker, Gary looked at his instrument panel and saw the oil pressure was dropping. He made multiple phone calls, saying he was heading back to the airport. Then the propeller stopped.

Sutterer praised Gary’s skill in crash-landing the plane, noting that such a small aircraft does not have retractable wheels, and those wheels would create enormous drag if they were the first to touch the water—likely forcing the nose of the plane to take the brunt of the crash. He said Gary, at the last moment, maneuvered the plane so its tail struck the water first, slowing them down significantly. Even still, “Gary said it was the hardest hit they’ve ever had before.” The plane hit fairly close to land: it was recovered less than 100 yards from the shoreline.

In the ensuing chaos, as the plane began to take on water, Gary called Sailor’s mother, and then began rescuing the passengers. “It was the longest two-and-a-half minutes of his life,” Sutterer said.

Mary had a broken collarbone, and was in severe pain; she also does not know how to swim. Sutterer said both Mary and Sailor were terrified and screaming.

Mary’s seat belt was jammed for a moment. Gary pulled her out, and swam her to shore, with Sailor swimming alongside and holding on to him.

All three were taken to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment; Mary was the most seriously injured, with a broken collarbone. She was transferred to University Hospital in Columbia. The others had bruises, but were not badly hurt.

Sutterer said Gary was pretty rattled by the whole experience, but noted, “He was the kind of guy… we would joke, ‘You beat him up, and he gets right back up.’”

On March 11, 2015, that same determined spirit saved the lives of Gary Sulin’s mother and daughter.

View photos of the plane recovery


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