GEORGETOWN, Colo. (AP) — Three people are dead after their small plane crashed into a slope at the Loveland Ski Area in Colorado.
The single-engine plane burst into flames when it crashed Monday morning, setting off a small wildfire that was quickly contained.
Capt. Randy Long of the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office says a witness told authorities the plane was trying to cross the Continental Divide. The plane attempted to turn around when it appeared it didn’t have enough power to clear the mountains. It then crashed near a ski lift at the ski area about 55 miles west of Denver.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the Piper aircraft had taken off from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Broomfield en route to Moab, Utah.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB are investigating.
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