Each winter Aspen, Colorado attracts the rich and famous to its powdery slopes, but on Sunday afternoon a much more newsworthy and dour event took place. A private jet originating in Mexico crashed landed at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Trouble appeared to be brewing before the crash as thick plumes of smoke surrounded the plane.

Co-pilot, Sergio Carranza Brabata, 54, of Mexico is the lone deceased. Two other pilots, Miguel Henriqez and Moises Carranza, also from Mexico, were injured in the crash according to Alex Burchetta, Director of Operations at the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office.

Burchetta went on to say that "the other two were moderately to severely injured and both transported to Aspen Valley Hospital by ambulance."

Burchetta nor the hospital have disclosed which survivor has the more serious injuries. Burchetta also said that "The injuries were traumatic in nature, but they were not thermal ... So the fire never reached inside the cabin as far as we can tell."

It's unclear if Henriqez or Carranza was flying the plane alongside Brabata. Whoever it was, the third pilot onboard was simply a passenger. None of the pilots appear to be at fault.

FAA spokesman Allan Kenitzer didn't have much more information.

"The airplane appears to be a Bombardier Challenger 600, coming from Tucson to Aspen. It crashed while attempting to land," Kenitzer confirmed.

Various witnesses were on hand to recount details of the sudden and traumatic crash.

EcoFlight President Bruce Gordon said "It was almost as if a fuse was lit and it went that quickly down the runway. And the heat and the smoke were pretty devastating."

At 2:34PM ET the day of the crash comedian Kevin Nealon tweeted, "Horrible plane crash here at Aspen airport. Exploded into flames as it was landing. I think it was a private jet."

Singer LeAnn Rimes Cibrian tweeted a similar message, "So sad! Horrible plane crash we just saw happen at the Aspen airport." 

Even if a mechanical failure was to blame the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is notoriously known for its tricky runway, which happens to be situated between parts of the Colorado Rockies mountain range.

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