A P2-Neptune tanker plane crashed through a fence at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and the engine caught on fire this afternoon, authorities say.
The pilot and co-pilot of the plane were not injured in the crash, which happened about 12:30 p.m., said Steve Segin, spokesman for the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
The aircraft, which was being used to drop fire retardant on two wildfires in northern Colorado, experienced hydraulic problems and the pilot had difficulty stopping the plane, Segin said.
“It was a rolling crash,” he said. “It rolled through a fence and came to stop on a highway. The crew is fine.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation, he said.
An airport firefighting crew quickly extinguished a small fire in the engine, Segin said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
