1 Killed, 2 Injured in Aspen, Colo., Plane Crash

A fiery plane crash at the Aspen airport Sunday afternoon killed one person and injured two others, one severely, Colorado authorities said.

The three were the only ones aboard the plane, said Thomas Wright, a dispatcher with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. One of those hurt had injuries that were not serious.

Ginny Dyche, a spokeswoman for Aspen Valley Hospital, said the facility admitted two patients who were involved in the crash. She said they were still being evaluated, but she declined to release any other information.

Allen Kenitzer, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, said the aircraft appeared to be a Bombardier Challenger 600, a midsized private jet.

FAA spokesman said the plane was headed from Tucson, Ariz., and crashed upon landing. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach airport officials in Colorado and Arizona were not immediately successful.

Tom Renwick, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, said snow showers were reported in the area Sunday afternoon, but not at the airport. He said it has been overcast all day with temperatures hovering around 10 degrees.

A message left with a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman was not immediately returned.

Aspen is located in the Rocky Mountains about 100 miles southwest of Denver.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the January 6th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.