Small Plane Crashes in Remote Mesa County Area; Two Adults Walk Away
On July 10, 2026, deputies were dispatched to a downed small-engine aircraft south and east of Highway 141 between Whitewater and Gateway; the pilot and an adult passenger self-reported and were flown to a hospital.
On July 10, 2026, at about 4:40 p.m., deputies from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office were sent to a report of a downed small-engine aircraft in a remote area south and east of Highway 141 between Whitewater and Gateway. The pilot and an adult passenger were able to self-report and walked away from the crash site; both were transported by CareFlight of the Rockies to an area hospital. The aircraft was not a commercial flight, the cause is unknown, and the FAA and NTSB (and possibly other federal agencies) are leading the investigation; deputies were still accessing the site on foot as of 7 p.m.