Pilot dies in crop duster crash near Alamosa
A crop duster from Monte Vista died when his plane crashed in the San Luis Valley near Alamosa Friday.
The plane went down between Center and Hooper south of Highway 112 in Alamosa County at around 11 a.m. It crashed into a field of barley and burst into flames. The fire then spread into the barley field.
The pilot was identified by the Colorado State Patrol as Dusty Claunch, 27, of Monte Vista. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
State patrol says Claunch had worked for the Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office for several years and had recently started working at the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office. Claunch took the summer off from the sheriff’s office to work as a crop duster.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
