A small plane crashed Tuesday afternoon about 5 miles southwest of Chimney Rock National Monument, the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
A pilot and a passenger safely evacuated the aircraft and were able to walk to a nearby house for assistance, the Sheriff’s Office said. One of the occupants needed medical assistance, according to a news release issued by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
The crash was reported at 12:03 p.m. on private property near Colorado Highway 151 and Forest Service Road 613 in southwest Archuleta County.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation as of Tuesday evening.
Photos of the downed plane show relatively minor damage. The nose of the plane is buried in a hillside and the right wing is heavily damaged. The tail number traces back to Gregg Flying Service in Durango.
Flight-tracking software showed the airplane taking off about 10:15 a.m. from Animas Air Park but showing no arrival time at a final destination airport.
The plane traveled southeast past Durango-La Plata County Airport and dipped into New Mexico for a bit before heading north over Navajo Reservoir.
The plane then made a U-turn near Chimney Rock National Monument before flying south again along Highway 151.
The flight path abruptly ends near Sheep Canyon and the Piedra River.
The aircraft is listed as a 1978 Cessna 172N fixed-wing, single-engine plane with four seats, according to an FAA registry.
A man who answered the phone at Gregg Flying Service said one occupant suffered injuries, including a possible broken arm and leg.
When asked if the plane was associated with Gregg Flying Service, the man hung up the phone. When a reporter called back, the phone was hung up again.
shane@durangoherald.com
