Fatal aviation incidents reported in Colorado and North Carolina

At least three people were killed in a plane crash in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, prompting an FAA and NTSB probe. In a separate incident, seven died after a jet crashed while landing in North Carolina.

Los Angeles: At least three people were killed in a plane crash in Steamboat Springs, US state of Colorado, according to a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said on X that it is investigating the crash of an Epic Aircraft E1000, a single-engine, six-seat turboprop light aircraft, Xinhua news agency reported.

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The aircraft crashed on Friday near Emerald Mountain at about 12:20 a.m. local time under unknown circumstances, local media reported.

The Routt County Sheriff Doug Sherar said the coroner was working to identify the victims and notify their next of kin.

Earlier in separate incident, seven people were killed after a small jet crashed at a regional airport in Statesville, US state of North Carolina, police said.

According to the police, among those killed in the crash were former NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) driver Greg Biffle, his wife and two children.

The Cessna C550 jet crashed on Thursday, at around 10:20 a.m. Eastern Time while landing at the airport and triggered a large fire, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, the plane took off from the airport shortly after 10 a.m. but then returned and attempted to land there.

Video footage showed first responders rushing onto the runway as scattered wreckage from the plane was engulfed in fire.

John Ferguson, Statesville Regional Airport manager, told reporters then that the FAA was taking over the crash scene. “The airport now is closed until further notice. It will take some time to get the debris off the runway, to get it safe again,” he said.