An Aspen plane crash has killed one and injured two when a private jet suddenly burst into flames following a failed second attempt to hit land the runway safely. Authorities are now contemplating whether the strong winds may be at fault, Daily News reported Sunday.
A tragic incident happened at the Aspen Airport Sunday afternoon after a private plane attempted to land the runway. WebProNews reported that the jet missed the tarmac on its first try so it circled before making another try. However, the vehicle crashed on its second attempt, leaving black smoke to billow into the air as the plane was being consumed by huge flames.
According to the Pitkin County Sherriff's Office, the private jet left Mexico bound for the Rockies. It made a stop in Tucson, Arizona before heading to the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.
Multiple sources reported about the crash right away including ABC News which revealed that three people were on-board the plane when it crashed: two were left injured and are currently being treated at the Aspen Valley Hospital while the other one was declared dead on the scene.
The identities of the three are yet to be revealed.
Transcripts from the voice recorder revealed that the pilots were raising their concern over the strong winds in the area that prohibited them from landing right away.
Upon crashing the airport, emergency crews responded to the scene immediately, according to the Sherriff's Office.
"We did receive 2 victims here. They came by ambulance to our hospital," Ginny Dyche, director of community relations for the hospital, said. "They are still being evaluated."
Earlier, the Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said that the private craft appeared to be a Bombardier Chellenger 600. However, Peter Knudson, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman, clarified that it was a Canadair CL-600.
Aspen Airport announced the accident on its Twitter account, "A private aircraft has crashed at the Aspen Airport. Emergency vehicles are on scene. The airport is closed until further notice."
Several witnesses commented on the incident through social media. Two of the witnesses were singer LeAnn Rimes and comedian Kevin Nealon.
"So sad! Horrible crash we just saw happen at the Aspen airport," Rimes tweeted.
Meanwhile, Nealon wrote, "[It] didn't look like there could be survivors but just hearing some survived but critical."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
