By Shannon Lukens. Courtesy Gabriel T Rogers.

 

Two people have died in a plane crash of a twin-engine Cessna 421 airplane that crashed into the West Acres Mobile Home Park in Steamboat Springs Monday afternoon.

 

Thick smoke could be scene at the west end of town, and fire trucks and emergency vehicles all rushed to the scene.

 

 

The plane landed in between two mobile homes and just in front of 14-year-old Cesar Carrillo’s home.

“I was just on my phone. I heard a plane. Then I ran over and heard a loud bang. Then I ran outside of the house and saw a big fire.”

 

Siblings Beyonce and Jose Alegria also heard the plane coming in, and crashing.

“Me and my mom were outside in the car on our way out and I just heard a jet pass by and I just hear a boom, and everything around us just shake. There’s screaming. There’s people screaming that there’s kids in there. The houses were just going up in flames. You can feel everything going hot. Ashes were everywhere. It was one of the scariest experiences.”

“I was inside my room and I heard something fast pass by and then I heard an explosion and I went outside and saw flames.”

On-duty firefighters, and numerous off-duty personnel worked to put out the fire, under the direction of Steamboat Springs Fire Chief Chuck Cerasoli. The plane, and the two mobile homes and several outbuildings were all on fire.

Steamboat Springs Police, Routt County Sheriff officers, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers helped secure the neighborhood.

 

One woman was transported to the hospital, with what looked like smoke inhalation.

 

Red Cross responders were on the scene from Hayden and Steamboat Springs, according to Mo Demorat with the Routt County Office of Emergency Management.

 

Members of Routt County Crisis Support also quickly showed up to help, with interpreters with Integrated Community. They made sure neighbors who had to leave their homes were OK. They also brought waters, and arranged for pizzas to be delivered for those who couldn’t go back into their homes, local law enforcement, first responders, media, and anyone who needed a piece of pizza. They wanted to make sure to thank Natural Grocers and City Market for the cases of water. Also, thank you to Brooklynn’s, How ‘ya Doin’ Pizza, and Blue Sage Pizza, for providing pizzas.

Routt County Coroner Mitch Locke confirmed two people died in the plane, and their families are being notified. One is male and one is female. They were believed to be on a flight from Longmont, Colo., on the Front Range to Ogden, Utah, when the plane crashed short of the Steamboat Springs Airport (KSBS – Bob Adams Airport).

Others responding included West Routt Fire Rescue out of Hayden. Also, Oak Creek Fire Rescue covered the Fire District during the incident.

It still isn’t known what caused the plane to crash, but witnesses reported hearing the plane in a flat spin on approach to the Bob Adams Airport. Steamboat Springs Sgt. Evan Noble also reported that witnesses heard the plane going into a “corkscrew spin.” He said the crash caused an “inferno,” which spread to the two trailers which were fully engulfed. The heat damaged a trailer on the north side.

Yampa Valley Electric was also on scene, and sending out alerts. Power was turned off, but eventually turned back on to all homes expect for the two that were most impacted.

West Acres Mobile Park is open to residents  only. The city has asked that people be respectful and stay away from the incident site as the investigation continues. Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue and Steamboat Springs Police will be on the scene throughout the evening and overnight on Monday.

All local law enforcement, first responders, emergency management personnel, crisis support teams, and interpreters worked beautifully together to handle the emergency situation in the community.

Cesar Carrillo was on 9News.

 

Steamboat Radio News Director Shannon Lukens provided all Denver networks with pictures and audio during the incident.