Three New Castle family members killed in small-plane crash near Crested Butte
A pilot from New Castle and his two teenage sons died when their plane went down in a remote area southwest of Crested Butte on Saturday morning.
Mark Hendrickson, 46, was flying a small aircraft that crashed around 9:20 a.m. near Swampy Pass, a wilderness region southwest of Crested Butte. Emergency responders found the plane and confirmed that Hendrickson and his sons, 15-year-old Alan and 13-year-old Case, had died on impact. The incident is being examined by the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office, the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Forest Service. Family members posted on social media to verify the victims’ identities.
Why it matters
The tragedy highlights the risks of private aviation and triggers a multi-agency investigation into the crash.
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