BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Several trails in Boulder County will close to the public Thursday as federal officials work to remove an aircraft that went down in southern Boulder County earlier this month.
The crash killed 3-year-old Isabella Gingrich and 43-year-old Aaron Gingrich north of Eldorado Canyon State Park at around 9:42 p.m. on Oct. 4.
The single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft, which was last spotted by radar in the Eldorado Springs area that evening, flew out of Longmont Airport, though information about where the plane was headed remain unknown. The crash site was found the next morning south of the Flatirons.
Boulder County officials said a private contractor will work with the National Transportation Safety Board to remove the downed plane from the crash site. Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services Unit will be assisting with the plane extrication, officials said in a news release.
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To make sure the extrication goes as safely as possible, the following trails will be closed starting at 6 a.m. Thursday and are expected to reopen by 5 p.m. that day:
- South Boulder Creek West Trailhead
- South Mesa Trailhead
- Bear Peak Trail (between Bear Peak and South Boulder Peak)
- Homestead Trail
- Lower Big Bluestem Trail/Thomas Lane
- Shadow Canyon North Trail
- Shadow Canyon South Trail
- Shadow Canyon Trail
- South Boulder Creek West Trail
- Towhee Trail
- Upper Big Bluestem Trail
Other trails may be closed depending on circumstances during the removal of the plane and Boulder officials ask that people plan accordingly by checking OSMP Closures for more details on trail, trailhead and area closures.
Temporary Flight Restrictions will also be in place during the plane extrication operations. This flight restriction applies to both manned aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (drones), officials said.
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