<\/p>\n
Two people involved in a small airplane crash at the Cortez Municipal Airport Wednesday afternoon walked away from the wreckage virtually unscathed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were no serious injuries,\u201d said Montezuma County Undersheriff Linda Carter.<\/p>\n
However, one of the two aboard was transported to the hospital, \u201cas a precautionary measure,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n
According to Carter, both people involved in the crash were pilots, and one was undergoing a recertification process and practicing \u201ctouch-and-go\u201d landings at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething went wrong,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The airplane, a 1999 Piper Malibu, sat on the runway Wednesday surrounded by airport and county officials.<\/p>\n
Carter said there was a small fuel spill, and the scene would be secured until investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived. The NTSB investigates all airplane crashes.<\/p>\n
Cortez Mayor Karen Sheek said emergency fire crews were quick to respond to the scene, adding that they performed their duties professionally.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth passengers walked away with only minor injuries,\u201d said Sheek. \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s 4 p.m. Great Lakes Airlines flight into Cortez from Denver was canceled, but City Manager Shane Hale said commercial operations had resumed by 7 p.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n
On scene just after noon on Wednesday, Hale speculated high winds may have played a role in downing the lightweight aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really windy,\u201d said Hale.<\/p>\n
Hale didn\u2019t have an exact number, but said the crash was not the first to occur on the city\u2019s airfield.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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