LARKSPUR, Colo — The pilots of a small plane that crashed near Larkspur last month had intentionally turned off one of the plane's engines as part of a training exercise, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The two people onboard – a flight instructor and a pilot receiving instruction – were injured in the crash about 7:45 a.m. June 16, when the plane crashed in a field just east of Interstate 25 in the area of Spruce Mountain Road and Sky View Lane near Larkspur.
According to the NTSB report, the pilot and instructor took off from Centennial Airport that morning and completed five full stop landings as part of the flight lesson. After the fifth landing, they went to the area of Perry Park Airport in Larkspur, where they intended to practice emergency procedures for flying with one engine inoperative. The pilots shut down the left engine, then struggled to restart it, the report says.
After the second attempt, the engine restarted, and they decided to return to the airport. Shortly after, they noticed issues with an engine. The pilots flew toward the Larkspur airport, but when they realized they could not reach it, they set up for an emergency landing on Interstate 25, the report says.
When the plane descended over the interstate, the right propeller was rotating but the left one was not. The left wing hit a road sign, and the plane veered left and climbed over interstate traffic. The airplane then crashed into a swampy area near the interstate, the report says.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the plane's occupants were out of the plane when first responders arrived. They were carried out on backboards through waist-deep water and taken to a hospital, the sheriff's office said. The pilot had serious injuries, and the passenger had minor injuries, according to a preliminary FAA report.
The registered owner of the plane is Marsh Equipment LLC. 9NEWS Investigates found another plane owned by the same company was involved in a similar emergency June 13, 2022, when a plane made an emergency landing on Fox Hollow Golf Course in Lakewood.
Federal investigation reports reveal in each of these cases, the pilots intentionally turned off one of the engines so their students could learn to restart them in midair. However, in both cases, the engines failed to restart.
While the same company is tied to both of these cases, it's unclear whether the same pilot was involved.
From June 2022: Plane makes emergency landing at golf course