Boulder County, Colo. -The Boulder County Communications Center received a call from the United States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at 9:42 p.m. last night about a possible downed aircraft. An emergency beacon on a private single engine fixed wing aircraft alerted near Eldorado Springs, which is also where the plane was last seen on radar.

The missing plane originated out of the Vance Brand Airport in Longmont. We have not been able to confirm the number of people onboard the aircraft, as a flight plan is not required for a plane of this size.

First responders and search and rescue crews spent multiple hours searching overnight. Incident command also requested and received assistance from a MedEvac helicopter to perform a search from the air using night vision technology, but despite the search efforts, the plane was not located overnight.

Law enforcement also checked at nearby airports to see if the plane had landed, but the plane was not found at any of the airports.

The search is resuming this morning now that search and rescue crews can safely hike into the rugged backcountry. Air support from the Civil Air Patrol is also anticipated, performing an aerial search.

The following agencies are assisting with the search efforts: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder Emergency Squad, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Civil Air Patrol, Colorado Search and Rescue Association, MedEvac, and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office case number is 26-04781.

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/s/ Carrie Haverfield, Sr. Communications Specialist

Search and rescue vehicles