News Release from Kiowa County Sheriff: Update on May 18 Plane Crash

Kiowa County Sheriff's Logo

This news release shared on behalf of the Kiowa County Sheriff's Office.


Public Information Officer Contact:
Sheriff Casey Sheridan
Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office
(719) 438-5411 | (719) 438-2205
www.kiowasheriff.co  



Media Release

Update on Fatal Airplane Crash in Kiowa County on May 18


Eads, Colo. –May 20, 2016 – On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 a fatal airplane crash occurred in Kiowa County.  The Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office has been informed it could take up to a year to complete the full investigation.  All media requests for further information will be handled by the NTSB Public Affairs Office at 202-314-6100.

On May 18 the Bent/Kiowa County Dispatch received a call just after 9:30 a.m. reporting that an aircraft had disappeared from radar in the vicinity of the Kansas/Colorado state line.  Multiple agencies responded to search for a downed aircraft including the Kiowa County Fire Department, ambulance crews, the Colorado State Patrol, and Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).  Two F16 aircraft and a B1 Bomber were training in the area and also assisted in the search. The F16 and B1 Bomber pilots quickly located the crash site and lead rescue personal to the scene. 

A Cessna P210 was found west of County Road 71 approximately three miles north of Highway 96, in a field northeast of Sheridan Lake.  The pilot has been identified as John Lee Stubblefield, age 64, of Meridian, Idaho.  Stubblefield died in the crash.  

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived on Thursday, May 19 to investigate the crash scene.  They recovered the aircraft for their investigation later that evening. 

###