Local
Audio captures pilot’s complaint before fatal Boulder County plane crash
A recording from another pilot includes a complaint about a “dangerous” maneuver near Longmont’s Vance Brand Airport before a plane carrying a 43-year-old man and a 3-year-old girl crashed in Boulder County. Federal investigators are still examining the crash, which killed both people aboard.
A pilot flying near Longmont’s Vance Brand Airport complained about a “dangerous” maneuver shortly before a single-engine plane carrying a man and a toddler crashed in Boulder County, according to audio released Oct. 14.
The crash happened at about 9:30 p.m. Oct. 5. The victims were identified as 43-year-old Aaron Gingrich and 3-year-old Isabella “Bella” Gingrich.
In the recording, another pilot says the aircraft cut into the traffic pattern and describes a pilot flying upwind as “really dangerous.” The recording does not establish whether Gingrich used his radio or explain what happened in the air after takeoff.
Flight-tracking data showed the plane departing from Vance Brand Airport, flying around Boulder County’s foothills and then over the Rocky Mountains. The track showed it climbing above 12,000 feet and later reaching 15,000 feet before returning toward the Front Range. It continued maneuvering before the crash, at an altitude of roughly 7,000 feet, according to the flight data.
There was no air traffic controller in the airport tower at the time, and the recording captured the other pilot’s comments. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation remains underway. The plane was being moved to a secure location, according to the NTSB.
The sequence of flight and the radio exchange have not been identified as causes of the crash. The investigation will determine what factors contributed to the deaths of both people aboard.