2 dead after small plane crash near suburban Denver airport

Two people died when a small plane crashed and caught on fire near a suburban Denver airport on Friday, officials said.

The crash happened just south of Centennial Airport and was initially reported as an explosion, Deborah Takahara, a spokesperson for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said.

Firefighters found the Beech BE35 airplane engulfed in flames, with the fire threatening to spread to a nearby building and some diesel-powered generators, Brian Willie, a spokesperson for South Metro Fire Rescue, said. Firefighters were able to put out the flames, he said.

The plane appeared to have crashed in the parking lot of an industrial office park.

Air traffic control audio posted by LiveATC.net includes an air traffic controller clearing the plane for takeoff just before the crash.

Another pilot later reported seeing smoke.

“Tower, there’s smoke off the left side. Looks like he went down,” came the report, followed a few seconds later by: “He appears to have crashed in the parking lot about a mile southeast of the field.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the plane crash.