Small plane kills 2 near Eldorado Canyon State Park after Sunday night flight from Longmont

Two people died when a privately owned small plane crashed in mountain terrain north of Eldorado Canyon State Park in Boulder County, Colorado, after a Sunday evening flight from Longmont.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said the aircraft was reported missing around 9:42 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, after an alert from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Crews found the wreckage Monday morning, Oct. 5, 2026.

Sheriff's office public information officer Vinnie Montez said the crash site was north of Eldorado Canyon State Park, south of the Flatirons and west of Mountain View Fire Station 9. The aircraft was last detected near Eldorado Springs.

The plane took off from Vance Brand Airport in Longmont around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Flight tracking data showed an aircraft that departed the airport at 6:32 p.m. and was last seen at 9:29 p.m. It had no arrival time.

Montez said the plane was privately owned and sheriff's detectives had spoken with at least one family member. The names of the two people killed were not immediately released. Authorities did not locate any survivors.

A MedEvac helicopter and the Civil Air Patrol found the crash site. Montez described the terrain as rugged and difficult.

The Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, the Colorado Search and Rescue Association and the sheriff's office joined the search. About 40 rescuers and aviation personnel were working the scene Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, that number had dropped to 20.

The National Transportation Safety Board was en route and expected to arrive Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, to investigate how the plane crashed. Montez said investigators still needed to determine whether the aircraft went down Sunday night or Monday.

Flight tracking records described the aircraft as a four-person, fixed-wing single-engine plane. The FAA registry lists that aircraft as owned by Boulder Aviation Partners LLC. Montez could not confirm whether that was the aircraft authorities located Monday.

Officials imposed a flight restriction over the crash site until at least 10 a.m. Tuesday and asked the public to keep drones and planes away so first-responder operations would not be jeopardized.

"The Boulder County Sheriff's Office, as well as all the first responders and agencies that are involved with this investigation, our hearts are with the families that have been impacted as a result of this incident," Montez said.