WELD COUNTY, Colo. — A pilot from Nebraska was killed when his plane crashed in Weld County near the town of Nunn on Friday.
The pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
The Weld County Coroner's Office has not released the name of the pilot. According to FAA records, the plane is owned by Alex Watson of Chadron, Nebraska. An obituary for Alex Benson Watson, known as Ben, says he died on Friday at age 81. He was a longtime pilot and an aircraft commander in the Vietnam War.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the pilot had taken off from Chadron, Nebraska, in his Beech 35B-33 between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and was headed to Hudson in Weld County.
The debris field of the wreckage was about 400 by 500 feet, according to the NTSB.
The federal agency said it has opened an investigation to find out what lead to the plane going down. The NTSB said its investigation involves three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.
The NTSB said it will collect the following data:
- Flight track data
- Recordings of any air traffic control communications
- Aircraft maintenance records
- Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
- Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
- 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight
- Witness statements
- Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
- Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras
