On Sunday, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport shut down after a private jet attempted to land on the runway, but instead flipped over and burst into flames. The crash killed one passenger and injured two others.
According to FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer, the plane appeared to be a twin-engine Bombardier Challenger 600 that had departed from Tucson, Arizona, at approximately 10:04 a.m. The pilot had previously tried to land, but was unsuccessful. “Missed approach, N115WF. 33 knots of tail wind,” the pilot is heard saying just a few minutes before the crash.
Alex Burchetta, the director of operations at the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, was able to identify the man who died as Sergio Carranza Brabata, the co-pilot of the plane. The other two men were identified as Miguel Henriqez and Moises Carranza.
Several celebrities witnessed the crash including SNL’s Kevin Nealon and country music singer LeAnn Rimes. Both took to their Twitter accounts to express there reactions.
“So sad! Horrible plane crash we just saw happen at the Aspen airport,” Rimes tweeted. She then added a longer tweet saying that she was counting her blessings even more today after witnessing a tragedy.
So sad! Horrible plane crash we just saw happen at the Aspen airport.
— LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (@leannrimes) January 5, 2014
“We are just getting off the plane in LA. This has been quite a day. Counting our blessings even more so after seeing a tragedy & driving 7 hrs to Denver through tons of snow and traffic. Would have missed our flight if it wasn’t delayed. We are being watched over, that’s for sure. The boys have been fantastic helpers. Eddie is a stud for getting us through a VERY crowded airport with ease. @united your team in Denver was incredibly helpful as I know they were all very stressed. Hope all the other travelers make it home safely and many prayers for the victims & their families of the #aspencrash in this heartbreaking time,” Rimes tweeted.
“Horrible plane crash here at Aspen airport. Exploded into flames as it was landing. I think it was a private jet,” Nealon tweeted.
Horrible plane crash here at Aspen airport. Exploded into flames as it was landing. I think it was a private jet.
— Kevin Nealon (@kevin_nealon) January 5, 2014
“Right now, we have no indication that there was anything wrong prior to landing,” Burchetta said. However, the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Image via Twitter