The Nation - News from Jan. 20, 1988

A commuter airliner crashed in a mountainous area near Durango, Colo., killing six of the 17 aboard, authorities said. Nine survivors were taken to a Durango hospital, and the two others remained trapped in the plane’s wreckage early today, said La Plata County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Bender, who confirmed the death total. He said the two survivors in the plane were “alert and conscious, talking to rescuers.” Three feet of snow in the area hampered the rescue operation, officials said. At least one of the passengers was able to walk from the crash site. Bruce Hicks, a spokesman for Continental Express, which runs the Denver-to-Durango commuter service, said there were 15 passengers, one of them a child, and two crew members aboard the flight. The airplane went down about 7:30 p.m. 10 miles east of Durango.