Two people were killed and a third injured when a Civil Air Patrol plane crashed in Colorado’s Front Range Saturday morning.
The small passenger plane with three people on board crashed around 11:15 a.m. near Storm Mountain and Palisade Mountain west of Loveland, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said. The plane belonged to the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary wing of the U.S. Air Force, and was on a routine aerial photography training mission when it crashed, officials said.
Pilot Susan Wolber and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten were identified by CAP as the dead and co-pilot Randall Settergren was identified as the injured. Settergren was taken by National Guard helicopter to an area hospital where he is receiving medical care.
CBS
“Civil Air Patrol volunteers are a valuable part of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the lifesaving work they do every day directly contributes to the public safety of Coloradans across the state,” said Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan. adjutant general of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said in a statement Saturday.
“We are devastated to learn of the loss of Susan Wolber and Jay Rhoten, and the injury of Randall Settergren, during a training mission in Larimer County. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the families of those involved in the crash,” Clellan continued. . “I would also like to thank all the first responders who assisted in the rescue efforts.”
Palisade Mountain is located in Larimer County, about 20 miles west of Loveland and about 65 miles northwest of Denver. The area is part of the burn scar Alexander Bergfirewhich burned almost 10,000 hectares in two weeks last summer.
The crash happened about 200 feet below the summit of Palisade Mountain in an area with tall trees and steep hills as part of the mountain range. Rescue crews could be heard on radio traffic trying to find a landing zone for rescue helicopters. No structures were affected by the crash.
The plane crashed in “very rugged” and “extensive and rocky terrain,” Ali Adams, a spokeswoman for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, said at a news conference. First responders had to hike to the site and the lone survivor was “severely injured” when responders finally reached them.
According to Adams, rescue efforts were underway as of 3:15 p.m. and recovery efforts for the bodies of the two deceased people could take several days.
Several agencies responded, including the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, Thompson Valley EMS and the National Guard.
The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency investigating the crash and the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will assist, according to Adams. The NTSB said they were also investigating the crash and identified the plane as a Cessna 182.
“This is one of those incidents that is very infrequent; it doesn’t happen that often, but unfortunately our first responders have had more than their fair share of responses,” Adams said.
George Solheim lives in the area of the crash. He described conditions on Saturday as “extremely windy” and heard the plane just before the crash. He says he could hear “loud ‘throttle up/down’ immediately prior to the sudden silence at (the) time of (the) crash. Couldn’t hear any sounds of impact from here.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on Saturday evening:
“I am saddened to hear that two dedicated members of the Civil Air Patrol, pilot Susan Wolber and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten, were killed in today’s crash, and my thoughts are with their families, friends and colleagues. with surviving co-pilot Randall Settergren, who was injured, the Civil Air Patrol served as volunteers who wanted to help make Colorado a better, safer place for everyone. The State of Colorado is grateful for their commitment to service and will not forget it. I also want to thank the first responders who assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts.”
