Colorado, United States: Two people tragically lost their lives early Friday morning when a small plane crashed just southeast of Centennial Airport in Colorado.
The aircraft involved was a Beechcraft BE35, which went down around 6:20–6:25 a.m. in a business park near 8636 South Peoria Street, according to South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
The first reports described an explosion, and by the time emergency responders arrived, the plane was engulfed in flames near a bank of diesel-powered generators that were also at risk of igniting. SMFR spokesperson Brian Willie confirmed firefighters were able to douse the fire before it spread to nearby buildings or equipment. Thankfully, no one on the ground was injured. The Douglas County Coroner’s Office will identify the victims once families have been notified.
Air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net shed light on the final moments before the crash. The pilot was cleared for takeoff and informed to line up on runway 17R for touch-and-goes. Soon after, another pilot in the area radioed, “Tower, there’s smoke off the left side looks like he went down. ”Seconds later, someone added: “Appears he crashed in a parking lot about a mile southeast of the field.” ATC immediately alerted emergency crews.
The FAA and NTSB have launched an investigation, with the NTSB taking the lead. Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the event or who might have video footage from nearby businesses to email eyewitness@ntsb.gov. Operations at Centennial Airport were not disrupted, as the crash occurred off airport property.
This marks the second fatal aviation accident in the Denver metropolitan area in under a week. Earlier, a midair collision near Fort Morgan killed one person and injured three others
