An organization comprised of pilots who help conduct emergency service missions has lost ‘two key members’ following a plane crash in the Colorado mountains.
A third Civil Air Patrol (CAP) crewmember – co-pilot Randy Settergren – survived with ‘severe’ injuries, whereas pilot Susan Wolber and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten both died at the scene.
The cause of the Saturday morning crash 80 miles north of Denver remains to be seen, and saw Settergren airlifted to a local hospital.
It happened during a routine training mission that included aerial photography, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday night.
Officers remained at the crash site on Storm Mountain well into Sunday, amid plans to stay there for several days.
The sheriff’s office attributed this to the crash site’s remote and rugged nature, which has slowed down recovery efforts.
The area is mountainous and heavily forested, making it perfect for practice search and rescue efforts like the one the trio had been on.
The plane, however, went down around 11 am, spurring a statement from Colorado’s governor. He confirmed the single-engine plane had belonged the CAP – the Air Force’s civilian auxiliary wing – while identifying those who had been on board.
A plane crash Saturday in the mountains of Colorado killed Susan Wolber, a pilot for Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and fellow member Jay Rhoten (not pictured). The group is comprised of volunteer pilots who help conduct emergency missions at the behest of the government
A third Civil Air Patrol (CAP) crewmember – co-pilot Randy Settergren – survived with ‘severe’ injuries and was airlifted from the scene. He also volunteers for the CAP, which is the Air Force’s civilian auxiliary wing
‘I’m saddened to hear of the loss of two dedicated Civil Air Patrol members, Pilot Susan Wolber and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten, who lost their lives in today’s crash,’ Gov. Jared Polis wrote Saturday, offering sympathies to the victims families.
‘These individuals, along with survivor co-pilot Randall Settergren, who was injured, served the Civil Air Patrol as volunteers who wanted to help make Colorado a better, safer place for all.
‘The State of Colorado is grateful for their commitment to service and it will not be forgotten.
‘I also want to thank the first responders who assisted with the rescue and recovery efforts.’
Terry Thompson, a former member of the Air Force who now volunteers as an aerial photographer for the outfit, added in his own post: ‘We lost two key member of our CAP squadron today.
‘A third crewmember was badly injured, and is recuperating in a hospital.
‘Their absence will be sorely felt,’ the veteran added. ‘Clear skies and tailwinds, comrades.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to Thompson for comment.
The cause of the Saturday morning crash 80 miles north of Denver remains to be seen. The plane is seen here. It had been on a routine training mission when it went down
A man wo lives in the area sad it had been ‘extremely windy’ the morning of the crash, and how he could hear the sound of the single-engine Cessna throttling before ‘sudden silence’. Investigators said they were still working Sunday to retrieve the bodies of the deceased
George Solheim, who lives in the crash site’s vicinity, further told CBS News how it had been ‘extremely windy’ that morning, and how he could hear the sound of the single-engine Cessna throttling before ‘sudden silence at (the) time of (the) crash.
‘[I] couldn’t hear sounds of impact from here,’ he added.
A spokeswoman for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Ali Adams, added how as of Sunday efforts from emergency responders to retrieve the bodies were still underway.
The shriff’s office said it will lead the now-ongoing investigation, though with help from the The National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, and the Federal Aviation Administration FAA.
In its own statement, the NTSB confirmed the plane was a Cessna 182. The craft can carry four people at a time.
