One Dead, One Injured In Mountain Accident

Crews struggled for hours to reach the site of a Cessna 182 crash in Colorado's mountainous backcountry West of Denver on Thursday. The crash occurred on Montana Mountain five miles from Black Hawk in Gilpin county at an elevation of 9000 feet.

The crash occurred at approximately 1600 MDT on Thursday as the aircraft (type shown above) was flying from Glenwood Springs, CO to Boulder, CO. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus says the pilot reported engine trouble before the plane dropped off radar at 1545.

The deceased pilot was identified as Barry Maggert, 47, older brother of PGA Golfer Jeff Maggert. Also injured in the crash was passenger Jonathan Holton, 23.

Holton was lifted from the crash scene by an Air National Guard Blackhawk helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base more than three hours after the crash. He was flown to St. Anthony's Hospital in Denver with a broken ankle.

The Associated Press reports rescuers used a snowcat, and climbed a steep mountainside Friday to reach the remote crash site and recover the body of the pilot.

The weather was reported as clear and sunny when the plane crashed, but wind and threatening clouds swept in, hampering efforts as rescuers plotted to reach the site by land and air.

Maggert and Holton were reportedly flying to attend the graduation ceremony of Lee Maggert, the pilots son, from the University of Colorado.

Jeff Maggert withdrew from the Players Championship tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL on Thursday, due to the loss of his younger brother.

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 8553S  Make/Model: C182  Description: 182, Skylane
 Date: 05/08/2008  Time: 2136

 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal  Mid Air: N Missing: N
 Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
 City: IDAHO SPRINGS State: CO Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 PILOT REPORTED ENGINE TROUBLE, RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT LOST WITH AIRCRAFT
 AT 16,000', IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO

INJURY DATA  Total Fatal: 1
     # Crew: 1  Fat: 1  Ser: 0  Min: 0  Unk:
     # Pass: 1  Fat: 0  Ser: 0  Min: 0  Unk:
     # Grnd:   Fat: 0  Ser: 0  Min: 0  Unk:

WEATHER: UNK

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Business  Phase: Cruise  Operation: OTHER

 FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03)     Entry date: 05/09/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov