On Friday, Sept. 5, two people died after a small plane crashed near Centennial Airport in Denver. The Beechcraft aircraft caught fire shortly after take off as it hit the ground at approximately 6:20 a.m. local time.
Pilots and witnesses report seeing black smoke after the crash
The plane crash was first reported as an explosion near the Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado. The Beechcraft P35 Bonanza was found ablaze by first responders in a parking lot of an office park.
Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft crashes over the years
Bonanza aircraft were first introduced in 1947, and have been in production since.
Notably, famed singer Buddy Holly was killed onboard a 1947 Beechcraft 35 Bonanza aircraft on Feb. 3rd, 1959. Killed alongside 22-year old Holly include: musicians Ritchie Valens (17 years old) and J.P. Richardson (28 years old) and pilot Roger Peterson, (21 years old).
Their tour bus broke down, resulting in the band choosing to fly to their destination. At 12:55am on February 3rd, Peterson took off towards their destination with clearance from the air traffic control team. Pilot Roger Peterson was not made aware about the bad weather coming towards them, resulting in the right wing tip of the aircraft touching the ground. Air traffic control attempted to make contact with those onboard after seeing the plane dip to the ground – the plane subsequently was found in the morning in a cornfield 8km from the airport.
The incident became known as ‘the day the music died’, and inspired the song Don McLean’s American Pie.
2025 Beechcraft crashes
On March 9th this year, a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft headed to Springfield, Ohio crashed while on route to Lancaster Airport. The five passengers onboard were injured and taken to hospital with burn injuries. The distress call from pilot to air traffic control reported of an ‘open door’ which is believed to be the cause of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash on Sept. 5.
Travel Radar sends our sympathy to those involved and their families.
