Low Plane Snags String : Young Kite Flier Finds Herself Suddenly Flying

One moment, DeAndra Anrig was peacefully flying her kite. The next, she and the kite were both soaring through the air, courtesy of a passing plane which snagged the kite string.

“I’m very sore--and I was very scared,” said the 8-year-old Dublin, Calif., youngster after spending Monday at home on an air mattress, surrounded by ice packs. “I want to go kite flying again, but where there are no airplanes.”

On Sunday, DeAndra and her father, Brad, were flying the kite at Shoreline Park, using strong 200-pound test line.

Suddenly, an airplane that was taking a patient to nearby Stanford University Hospital snagged the kite and jerked her off the ground.

She flew about 200 feet, about 10 feet off the ground, until she let go of the reel holding the string to avoid hitting a tree. She was bumped and bruised, but otherwise uninjured.

Pilot Jake Uranga of Reno, Nev., and his passenger were uninjured and the plane landed safely at Palo Alto airport nearby. It suffered $10,000 in damage. The park has banned kite flying until an investigation is complete.

“She said it was just a big jerk that lifted her into the air,” said DeAndra’s mother, Debby. “It carried her right over my husband’s head. All he saw was a shadow going over his head.

“I’m just thankful she let go.”