The Teller County Coroner’s Office on Monday released the identities of four Florence residents who died Saturday in a plane crash on Phantom Canon Road near the Fremont County line.
The bodies of Bruce Claremont, Laurie Aves and Roger and Kathrine Duncan were located Sunday after a search in the area where the plane had crashed.
An open community reception scheduled for Tuesday to thank Interim Florence City Manager Tom Piltingsrud has been canceled to honor the four crash victims who were “friends/traders/co-workers /community supporters… so much more,” according to the Florence Pioneer Museum.
Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the NTSB’s investigation began Sunday by documenting the scene, examining the plane, requesting any air traffic communications, radar data and weather reports and attempting to contact with any witness.
In addition, the investigator will request aircraft maintenance records, medical records and the pilot’s flight history.
Holloway said in a news release Monday that preliminary information currently available is that a Pool-Cessna T-41B2 crashed in mountainous terrain southeast of Victor. A post-impact fire occurred near Victor.
According to preliminary information, the plane left Fremont County Airport around 9:30 a.m. Saturday en route to Centennial Airport in Englewood and was located Sunday.
“It’s important to note that NTSB does not determine cause in the first part of the investigative process,” Holloway said. “This is considered the fact-gathering phase of the investigation.”
A preliminary report may be available in about 10-12 business days. A typical NTSB investigation can take 12 to 24 months to complete and determine the cause.
