BOULDER, CO — Two people were killed when a small private plane crashed near Eldorado Canyon State Park after disappearing from radar Sunday night, according to Boulder County officials. The aircraft, a single-engine fixed-wing plane, was last seen near Eldorado Springs before crews launched a multiagency search in difficult terrain.
Authorities said the Boulder County Communications Center received an emergency transponder beacon alert from the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at 9:42 p.m. Sunday. Search teams used night vision, helicopters and drones before locating the wreckage Monday morning south of Boulder. No survivors were found at the crash site.
Plane left Longmont before emergency beacon alerted rescuers
Investigators have established a basic timeline for the flight, including where it took off and when the distress signal was first reported. Officials said the plane departed from Vance Brand Airport in Longmont around 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Several hours later, the emergency beacon activated near Eldorado Springs, prompting a response from emergency agencies. The sheriff’s office said the aircraft was private and not connected to the U.S. Air Force, despite the alert coming through the military rescue coordination center. That initial notification helped guide search crews to the general area where the plane was believed to have gone down.
Night search with helicopter and Civil Air Patrol did not find wreckage
Crews spent much of Sunday night searching for the aircraft after the beacon alert came in. A MedEvac helicopter and the Civil Air Patrol scanned the area using night vision equipment, but they were unable to locate the plane before daylight…