-
Two people were killed in a small plane crash in Colorado
-
The plane left Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield at around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 17, and crashed shortly after takeoff
-
Officials said the pilot was “trying to return to the airport due to an issue” when the crash occurred
Two people were killed in a small plane crash in Colorado.
The plane left Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield at around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 17, and crashed shortly after takeoff, according to a statement from the North Metro Fire Rescue District (NMFRD).
The pilot was “trying to return to the airport due to an issue” when the plane crashed in a field, per the NMFRD.
Getty
Stock photo of a private aircraft
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that there were two people onboard the plane. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
According to the NMFRD, the crash caused a small grass fire at the site that firefighters have since extinguished.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims from this tragic accident,” officials wrote.
The FAA said the plane was a Beechcraft 95. The crash occurred about five minutes after takeoff.
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport/Facebook
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, Colorado
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the incident.
Per radio traffic reviewed by CBS News, concerns for the plane were first made at around 10:01 a.m., when the pilot was unresponsive after failing to turn once alerted of another aircraft.
The pilot eventually told the tower: “We’re going to have to go back and re-land. We’ve got the door popped open… We can hardly hear you, sir.”
They were then given permission to return to the airport, but did not answer. The tower then told the pilot that the plane was cleared to land on the runway.
After three more announcements, another pilot told the tower, “They just went down north of 36.”
Read the original article on People