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NTSB To Investigate Grand Junction Plane Crash
An investigation is underway into the plane crash at Walker Field Airport that left the two people on board injured. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive in Grand Junction and begin sifting through the wreckage looking for answers as to why the plane went down. The locally owned single–engine Cessna crashed as it was trying to land on runway 11 just about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Ted Balbier with the Walker Field Airport Authority says the NTSB suspects strong winds may have contributed to the plane taking a nose dive which tore off part of its landing gear. The Cessna is owned by Kempton Air Service out of Grand Junction and is used for flight training. 11 News spoke with owner Larry Kempton who said he was not on board the plane, but would not comment on who was. Authorities have said an instructor and a student were on board the plane at the time of the crash. The two were taken to St. Mary's hospital with minor injuries. The names of the crash victims have not yet been released but both are believed to reside in the Grand Valley. The plane's wreckage has been moved from the runway. Flights at Walker Field Airport were delayed for a time Saturday night but the airport was operating on a normal schedule Sunday.
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