On August 7, 2016, at approximately 1:46 PM, the Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center was notified by a representative from the Colorado Springs East Airport, located at 3060 Flying View, that a commercial aircraft that had just departed was experiencing an engine fire. The pilot was en route back to the airport to attempt an emergency landing.
Deputies from the Sheriff's Office, along with medical and fire fighting personnel from the area, responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they were informed that the pilot had made a successful landing on the airport’s runway without incident. All 13 passengers on board parachuted out of the aircraft prior to its landing.
The passengers, all of whom were clients of "Out of the Blue Skydiving" were equipped with parachutes and had received prior training on the use of parachutes. All of the passengers were picked up by company personnel and returned to the airport. No injuries were reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be the investigating agency and will address any future inquiries for this incident.