Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2012 12:00 am
Engine trouble eyed in plane crash By NICK BONHAM | nickb@chieftain.com The Pueblo Chieftain | 0 comments
An engine problem appeared to have caused the Thursday night slide-off of a Learjet at Pueblo Memorial Airport, a preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The plane "lost power in right engine during take-off and ran off side of runway," the report said.
Due to weather conditions, investigators with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board won't arrive in Pueblo until early next week, said Mark Lovin, airport director, on Friday.
No one was injured in the Thursday night crash. The private plane was occupied by the prominent DeRose family of Pueblo. The group was taking off in poor weather conditions to Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl. Lovin, however, has said it doesn't appear the weather was a factor.
The report said the plane sustained "substantial damage" in the crash. The name of the pilot has not been released.
The DeRoses were on Learjet ID number N31WS, which was once owned by singer John Denver, according to flightaware.com
"John Denver took delivery of this Lear in 1975. He named it WindStar 1. He created WindStar Aviation. His father, Dutch, was the chief pilot," the website said.
Records show the Learjet is now owned by Extra Point LLC, in Delaware. The plane's most recent flight was from Centennial to Pueblo on Jan. 27.
The Learjet was removed from the side of the runway late Thursday night and is being stored at the airport for investigators.
The airport was closed following the incident but was reopened Friday morning.
Engine trouble eyed in plane crash - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local News
