A Civil Air Patrol plane crashed during a training exercise in northern Colorado on Saturday, killing two people and injuring another person, authorities said, Report informs via CNN.
The Cessna 182 aircraft crashed in Larimer County, Colorado, while participating in a search and rescue training exercise, according to a Civil Air Patrol news release.
“I’m saddened to hear of the loss of two dedicated Civil Air Patrol members, Pilot Susan Wolber and aerial photographer Jay Rhoten, who lost their lives in today’s crash and my thoughts are with their families, friends and colleagues,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.
The plane’s co-pilot was also injured in the crash and airlifted by the Colorado Army National Guard to a medical facility to receive care, according to the governor’s statement.
The plane’s passengers had “served the Civil Air Patrol as volunteers who wanted to help make Colorado a better, safer place for all,” the governor said. “The State of Colorado is grateful for their commitment to service and it will not be forgotten.”
The aircraft crashed in a remote location in the Storm Mountain area around 11:12 a.m. MST, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the US Air Force and nonprofit organization. Its Colorado wing operates in the Rocky Mountain region, conducting search-and-rescue operations to find lost hikers, hunters and downed aircraft, and transporting emergency personnel and medical materials.