Small jet crashes at Aspen, Colo., airport; casualties feared

A small private jet crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, witnesses and authorities said.

An Aspen-Pitkin County Airport official, speaking with the Los Angeles Times, confirmed the crash and said the airport was “indefinitely closed.” The official declined to release further information.

A Pitkin County emergency dispatcher told The Times that county emergency responders were at the scene.

The airport’s official Twitter account tweeted that it was a private aircraft.

The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office told ABC News that there were three people aboard, and that one person was killed, one was seriously injured, and a third had moderate injuries.

Aspen, an idyllic resort town, is a popular destination for celebrities and the wealthy. News of the crash initially spread after comedian Kevin Nealon and then country-music singer LeAnn Rimes tweeted about witnessing the event.

Other apparent witnesses tweeted photos of a small jet, apparently charred, resting upside-down on a snowy runway.

A National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction told The Times that he could not confirm weather conditions in Aspen because of the crash, saying that such information would be released later through the National Transportation Safety Board, which typically investigates such crashes.

The weather service’s website said Aspen was under a “hazardous weather outlook,” and that light snow and winds stronger than 20 mph were expected.

Video uploaded by a witness also appeared to show windy, snowy and hazy conditions at the airport shortly after the crash.

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