JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A person died in a plane crash Wednesday afternoon near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.
The crash happened near Eldorado Boulevard and Interlocken Loop, which is a short distance from the airport.
Mike Hodges, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said the Cessna 172 airplane “departed from controlled flight from unknown reasons and impacted terrain” around 12:30 p.m. The sole person aboard died, and the plane was destroyed.
Paul Schultz had settled in for a day of golf at the Omni Interlocken Golf Course when he heard the crash.
“It sounded like a car crash, a huge, metallic crunch. Pretty distinct impression,” said Schultz.
The intersection was expected to be closed for several hours, where the plane’s impact caused a small fire and damaged a traffic control light. NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration were on site Wednesday evening to investigate.
A company was expected to recover the wreckage on Wednesday night. Hodges said NTSB was checking weather and air traffic control records to understand what happened at the time of the crash.
North Metro dispatchers said it was a plane that was on approach to land at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport.
The identity of the person killed has not yet been released.
“It’s a sobering thought to think. That’s somebody’s father, somebody’s son,” said Schultz. “That guy is all gone, and I just wish his family well obviously.”
According to the Pinpoint Weather Team, the wind was blowing around 15 mph at the time of the crash, with gusts into the upper 20s.
NTSB asked any witnesses with photos, videos or information to contact them at ntsb.gov.
UPDATE: All roads affected by the crash are back open.