Investigators are looking into what caused a deadly plane crash late Sunday night in Boulder.
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According to the sheriff’s office, the Boulder County Communications Center received a call from the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at 9:42 p.m. Sunday reporting that an emergency transponder beacon on a single-engine fixed-wing aircraft had gone off near Eldorado Springs. That’s where the plane was last seen on radar.
Officials say the aircraft was private and not related to the U.S. Air Force.
After the call, a MedEvac helicopter and the Civil Air Patrol searched the area using night vision but couldn't find the aircraft.
On Monday morning, the small plane was found south of the city of Boulder near Eldorado Canyon State Park around 10:15 a.m. A drone was also sent to search the area, which was described as “difficult terrain.”
Rescue crews reached the crash site around noon Monday and found two people dead. There were no survivors.
So far, investigators know the plane left from Vance Brand Airport in Longmont around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The names of the victims have not been made public.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, with a federal team expected to arrive Tuesday.
The initial search and investigation involved Boulder Emergency Squad, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Civil Air Patrol, Colorado Search and Rescue Association, MedEvac, and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.
