Telluride, United States: Two people were killed when a Cessna 206 single-engine aircraft crashed near Dolores Peak in southwestern Colorado on September 3, 2026 while conducting aerial surveying work, authorities said. The aircraft went down on the north side of the 13,296-foot peak, about 15 miles southwest of Telluride, prompting a helicopter-assisted search and rescue operation in the remote mountainous area.
The victims were identified as 34-year-old pilot Randy Ramirez of Jupiter, Florida, and 20-year-old Blake Klobuchar of Peralta, New Mexico. Ramirez was flying the aircraft, while Klobuchar was working as a camera mapping operator. According to San Miguel County Coroner Emil Sante, the two were collecting aerial surveying data for Vexcel Imaging.
The aircraft was a Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair, registration N919CW. Aviation records identify the 2006-built aircraft by serial number T20608619 and list GV Air Inc. as its owner. GV Air is associated with Vexcel’s aerial-imagery operations, and the aircraft was being used for the survey mission when it crashed.
Flight-tracking data indicate that the aircraft had been operating from Belen Regional Airport after beginning the day at Vance Brand Airport in Colorado. It later flew from Belen to Grand Junction Regional Airport, arriving at about 12:54 p.m. MDT. After completing surveying work in the Grand Junction area, it departed at about 1:40 p.m. for the Telluride area and was last recorded around 3:19 p.m.
The aircraft was returning toward Belen, New Mexico, after completing the Grand Junction assignment when it went down, according to the San Miguel County Coroner’s Office. The flight therefore involved a multi-leg operation that began in Colorado, continued to Belen, then Grand Junction and ultimately toward the Telluride area before the fatal crash.
The first indication of trouble came shortly after 3:20 p.m. A member of the public reported seeing a plume of white smoke near the north side of Dolores Peak. Denver Air Traffic Control also reported a missing Cessna to San Miguel County dispatchers. The Sheriff’s Office and Telluride Fire Protection District were notified at approximately 3:30 p.m. that contact with the aircraft had been lost.
Search and rescue personnel were sent toward the crash site by helicopter because of the rugged terrain. San Miguel County Sheriff’s deputies, Search and Rescue personnel, Telluride Fire Protection District crews and Bureau of Land Management personnel took part in the response. Initial efforts focused on determining whether either occupant had survived.
Susan Lilly, public information officer for the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, later confirmed the aircraft involved, stating that “a Cessna 206 single-engine aircraft with two male occupants crashed this afternoon (Thursday) on the north side of Dolores Peak.”
By about 10:40 p.m., search crews had confirmed that both occupants were dead. The Sheriff’s Office said there were no survivors and that search and rescue teams would return Friday to recover the victims. Recovery operations were subsequently conducted in the area.
The exact circumstances that led to the crash remain unknown. Authorities have not released any finding indicating whether the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem, encountered adverse weather, suffered a loss of control or was affected by another factor. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident, and the cause has not yet been determined.
The crash occurred in an especially remote section of the San Juan Mountains, making access difficult for emergency crews and requiring helicopter operations for the search and subsequent recovery. Officials have not reported any injuries to people on the ground.
The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft, its flight path, operating history, weather and other available evidence to determine what happened during the final portion of the flight. At present, the confirmed sequence is that the Cessna completed survey work in Grand Junction, departed for the Belen area, lost contact while operating near Dolores Peak and crashed, killing both men aboard.
